Out of Control
by B.Weber
Summary: When Dimitri Belikov is sent to retrieve two teenage runaways, something does not go according to plan. Kept hostage by an exotic beauty, thrown in a world of twisted emotions, it'll be time to make his final decision.
1. Chapter 1

**I was thinking about this for some time and thought it would be a nice training for my writing as well as a break from my main story, A Turkish Tale. This is supposed to be a one-shot, but I know there's room for more, just in case anyone like it.**

**Anyway, just... enjoy!**

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I was running. All because, in my stupidity, I let her see me. They were heading for the car, there was no doubt about it. They were getting close to it and the dhampir girl was in a very bad shape due to what happened before, when the princess... fed. I was amazed she could run at all, though it was clear she wouldn't have made it without the Moroi supporting most of her weight.

The street was dark and quiet for a college campus, even at three in the morning. A streetlight was flickering, a warm breeze playing with the strands of my hair that had escaped the ponytail tied at the base of my neck. And I was running out of air.

Two more blocks and they'd reach the old Honda parked by the end of the street. I couldn't afford that, not after months of searching and finally finding the girls. So, I pushed my legs harder in order to stop them from reaching their goal. I would not allow that.

Ten feet from the car, I stepped directly into their path. The brunette – Rosemarie, according to the files I kept on them – came to a halt, jerking the princess behind her. Like I was a threat.

She was stunningly beautiful. I'd seen her in pictures and from far away earlier tonight, but having her in front of me was a completely different matter. Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and a tanned skin. She looked more like an exotic princess from a desert than a troublemaker dhampir girl. The kind of woman I'd stop and appreciate – wasn't it for the fact that I was here to retrieve her and she was a minor.

"Leave her alone" she growled. "Don't touch her."

She was protecting princess Vasilisa. I held my hands out, trying to calm her, but that only seemed to enrage her more.

"I'm not going to–" I said, taking a step forward, but apparently it was too much.

She attacked me, leaping out in a feeble maneuver. It was stupid, even more because of her weakened state, but I had to admire her guts. I was faster than her and knocked her off, my hands slamming into her and sending her backwards, not meaning to strike so hard. She started to fall in an awkward angle, but I reached out to catch her arm.

Big mistake.

I'd considered her to be fragile, and she was, but she was also no idiot. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to her, using my momentum to make me fall. She twisted our bodies' position in midair, just a second before we collided with the ground, her using my body as a shield.

I heard my head crack and blacked out.

...

Pain. There was pain everywhere and, then, voices. I couldn't understand what they were saying. They were distant, maybe coming from another room. My head was pounding from the fall, when I hit it, though I was incapable of remembering why I had hit it in the first place. I was chasing the girls...

There were colors passing through my eyelids, but I couldn't open then. Not because I had no force, but because my eyes were blindfolded. My arms and legs were tied to what I believed was a chair – a chair with a very square sit. My ass was starting to feel numb, which made me wonder how much time I'd been like this.

Where could I be?

I heard a door open and steps coming into the room. Breathing – one deep and calm, other quick and superficial, but no words.

Deciding it was cleverer to make them believe I was still unconscious, I kept my breathing even and my muscles relaxed, my head hanging down.

"Oh god" a frightened voice said, quivering a little. "We'll never get away with this. When they catch us..."

"Chill, Liss. No one's going to catch us. They tried, they failed. I told you I'd keep you safe and I'm sticking to it."

This voice was stronger, more determined. I had heard it before... the night I was supposed to take the girls back to the Academy. Rosemarie Hathaway, I was sure it was her. I suddenly remembered her falling and I remembered the trick she played on me, making me fall with her. But what were they doing here with me? There had been other guardians covering my back, they surely would have gotten the girls before they could go too far way. Right?

"He's our hostage, for heaven's sake!" the princess voice screeched.

This wasn't good, this wasn't a single bit good. Hostage? What _the heck_ were they talking about?

"Look at the bright side, at least he's hot."

"Gee, Rose, only you to think about that at a time like this."

She said I was hot. I... I didn't know what to think, she was too young. Also sexier than I'd like her to be, but mouth-watering nevertheless. _I did not just think that_. I suppose as long as I kept it to myself, it wouldn't be a crime to think of her dark eyes, her luscious hair, her full lips, how they'd feel if I... God, heat was creeping up my face – and other places.

"Liss, is he blushing?"

I tensed in reflex. The room was instantly quiet and I mentally kicked myself. They saw it.

I heard someone approaching me and tried to relax again, but it was too late. I could feel the air strangling me as somebody was coming closer – and that somebody smelled heavenly good, like clean soup and a discrete perfume I'd never scented before.

Was I crazy? That was one of my kidnappers I was thinking about!

A hand brushed my right cheek, sending shivers through my skin.

"Oh, I think he's very awake now" her voice teased.

I tried to move, but I was too tightly tied to the chair.

"Let me go!" I hissed.

Somebody whimpered – the princess, if I were to guess. Rosemarie wasn't so easily intimidated, though. She actually laughed at my attempt to sound authoritative.

"Look who's being all macho here. Sorry, big boy, but you're not in the place to make any demands."

That was it. Who did that girl think she was?

"They were right about you. You're no more than an irresponsible kid who couldn't care less about the princess safety."

Obviously, that was the exact wrong thing to say to hot tempered Rosemarie.

"Hush! You have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Rose, I don't think you should–"

"Come on, Liss! This guy here is saying I'd risk you at all. I'd never put you in harm's way, you know that!"

She really did seem concerned about the princess, I had to admit it. An image of her jerking the other girl behind her, protecting the princess _from me_, flashed in my head. Could I deny she was a guardian in essence?

"I know, Rose. But this man is a guardian. What do you think he's going to do with us? We're being dragged to the Academy as soon as he gets hid of his ties. You're not helping our case by yelling at him!"

"Well, that's not going to happen, because he's not getting hid of his ties."

"And what are you going to do with me then?" I exploded. "Just keep me here and feed me until you get tired and go away?"

Silence for a moment.

"We could keep you as our pet. Though I should warn you to clean your own shit."

She did not say that! I turned my head blindly in the direction of her voice, trying to show her all my disbelief.

"Or," she added in a more serious tone, "Lissa could use compulsion to erase your memory".

I didn't like the sound of that. Moroi weren't supposed to use compulsion at all, but erasing memories was a step further into the forbidden. I was hoping the princess wasn't practiced with that, but, even in that case, it wasn't like I was willing to be her lab rat.

"I guess that's a possibility" the princess agreed, thoughtful.

"Let's not make any harsh decisions." I whispered and it was all it took to Rosemarie regain her power.

"Not so brave any longer, are you, guardian?"

I sighed.

"I have a name."

"That would be?"

I really didn't have to tell her that, but if they were going to keep me here – wherever here was – for any amount of time, I'd rather be called something other than "guardian".

"Dimitri. Dimitri Belikov."

She paused. Something in her not saying anything made slightly nervous.

"Belikov" she said slowly, as if tasting the word in her tongue. Hell, what was wrong with me?

"Your accent is funny. Are you from Russia?"

"_Da_." I said with a smirk.

"Big Russian boy, that is, then."

"Can you remove this blindfold from my eyes? It would be nice to see, now that we are friends."

"Rose" the princess interfered, getting agitated. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Rosemarie thought for a minute before answering her friend.

"I don't think there are any problems with that. He's already seen us, anyway."

She walked over to me, leaning in my direction. I could imagine that as her scent got stronger and I reveled in it. She reached for my blindfold, unknotting it, but before she let go of the cloth, I felt her lips brushing my ear.

"Just don't stare at my chest, big boy."

The blindfold was gone and the light hurt my eyes. I blinked for a few times before being able to focus on anything. When I finally was able to do that, I saw I was staring straight at the most beautiful cleavage I had ever seen in my life.

"I said no staring at the boobs, Comrade. What part did you miss?"

I heard the princess giggling, but my eyes shot to Rosemarie's face. She was irritated and amused at the same time.

"Satisfied?" she asked.

"Much." I answered, my voice hoarse. Only then I got the double meaning in her question and in my words.

"Oh, I really need to get out of here now. Have fun with him Rose, I'm getting myself some sleep."

With that, the princess left through one of the two doors in the room. I took my time to notice my surroundings. It was a cheap motel room, not that I was expecting any better. There was a double bed with red sheets, a desk, a window covered by dark curtains and that was it. I looked at Rosemarie again. She was eyeing me curiously, as if trying to decipher some mystery.

"What?"

She shook her head.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No, but I could use a shower."

"And how do I know you're not going to knock me out and run away when I release you from your ties?"

Rosemarie had a point, but she was getting on my nerves nonetheless.

"Do I have to promise not to beat you?" I asked sarcastically.

"Could I trust your word?"

She was serious. Something in her urged me to prove myself, my morals. I realized I wanted her to think of me as a good man. It was insane, considering she was far from trustworthy herself. No, that wasn't true. I'd seen how she cared about the princess. She wasn't shallow in any way.

"Yes, you can trust my word, Rosemarie." I saw it in her eyes that she trusted me.

"Don't call me that, it's ridiculous."

"What?"

"The name is Rose."

I smiled, in spite of myself. Something in her was just charming.

She walked over to me and gently untied the ropes that were holding me.

"Why did you bring me here?"

She gave me a look, before returning to untying me.

"You hit your head pretty badly and you started bleeding. I suppose there should be other guardians, but we couldn't see them coming. We couldn't just leave you there to bleed to death in case there wasn't anyone else. I'm sorry. We really didn't mean to kidnap you, but if we let you go now, you'll bring them all to us before we have time to get out of the state."

I absorbed her words as she finished working on my ties.

"The bathroom is over there" she said, pointing to the other door in the room.

I nodded and headed in its direction. Before I could reach it, though, Rose was there, blocking my way.

"What are you doing?" I frowned.

There was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, but she struggled not to let it show.

"What? Even my trust has limits, Comrade. There's a window in there, you know, and you could easily escape through it."

I groaned.

"I told you could trust me!"

"You told me I could trust you not to beat me. Escaping is another matter."

One moment, perfection; the other, the ruiner of my existence.

"So I take it there will be no shower for me then?" I asked, irritated.

The smile broke free and spread through her lips, turning into a big grin.

"Oh, no, I'd never keep you from your shower. Just go ahead and get yourself cleaned.

I didn't get this girl, I seriously didn't. I walked past her and turned the water on, waiting for it to heat up. I turned to close the door, but Rose was still there, looking at me with a teasing smile.

"Can I close the door?"

"No, you can't."

I just stared at her, that crazy woman, looking for an explanation.

"I told you could have your shower, but I never intended on giving you the chance to flee."

Silence. She couldn't mean...

"I'll be watching" she finished.

Sweet Lord. I had no words for her. I opened and closed my mouth like a mute fish.

"Let me just see how big a boy you truly are" she joked, but the heat was there again and I could feel myself blushing and incapable of looking away.

Damn woman. I think I just got myself the Stockholm syndrome.

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**_Stockholm syndrome_ is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors (by Wikipedia, in case anyone wasn't familiar with the term).**

**Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Your response to this was amazing! Of course I had to write more. My updates here will probably be more random, though.**

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Oh, I forgot the disclaimer: I own nothing but a twist on events.

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"I could always scratch your back," Rose said from her sitting position on the toilet. Yes, _on the toilet_.

Sometime in the process of my long shower, she decided to sit and enjoy the view. I was taking longer than I usually did to get myself cleaned, but it's not like this was a normal situation. Uncomfortable didn't even cover it. The door to the shower was made of transparent glass and I tried to heat the water up as much as I could without burning my skin so as to create fog around me. Now the entire bathroom was covered in it and I couldn't see Rose either. Which gave her the perfect excuse to move around unnoticed.

I never let go of my underwear. I had my morals. It was already bad enough that she got to see me nearly naked before the mists spread and the look she gave me had been full of... hunger. No, that was probably my imagination. Could a seventeen-year-old have that much pent-up energy in her?

This wasn't helping. I was hot, wet, and there was a beautiful girl locked in the bathroom with me, hidden by the fog. I slowly gulped, regaining my control.

I rubbed the soup against my skin, sometimes slipping and imagining it was _her hands_ caressing my chest, _her hands_ going down my back, _her hands_ finally reaching for mine... _Fuck, man, get a hold of yourself!_

I shut down the water, concluding a cold shower would have been wiser. I felt the drops of water as they made their path down my chest and arms. My hair was soaked and clung to my face and neck, heat making me flush. I touched my forehead to the cold tile wall, hoping to regain my self-control before facing her again. How was it possible that a teenager did this to me?

The glass door to the shower opened. I couldn't see it, but I could hear it. Someone was inside with me and I knew very well, who it was.

I took in a deep breath, her scent lingering in the air with the smell of clean soup. I shivered silently, unable to find my voice and tell her to go away. Before I could do anything, my body was shoved against the wall and she was pressing herself to my back.

"Don't say anything," she whispered right under my ear.

"Rose," I managed to speak with great effort, "I don't think it is appropriate for us–"

"I said hush!" she commanded and I felt something cold touch the warm skin of my back, sending chills up and down my spine. I decided to please her and stay quiet. I was waiting for the moment to catch her by surprise and pin her against the wall.

Her soft hands went to my elbows, going down to my wrists. The same cold touch accompanied her left hand. Some sort of metal, if I could guess. Without warning she turned me around and a loud _click_ reverberated in the space between us. What the...?

Rose's face came into view as the fog started to dissipate. She had a wry smile on her face.

I didn't see it until she raised my hands in hers. Mine were cuffed. I stared in disbelief at my wrists, realizing what the cold material on my skin had been. _Idiot!_, I thought to myself. But if cuffs could restrain my movements, they certainly could not diminish my strength. I shoved her against the other wall and used her surprise to escape through the glass door and run to the bedroom.

I was almost to the bed when something crashed my legs from behind. I fell face first on the mattress. Luckily it was soft. I tried to crawl to the pillows with my hands nested in front of my chest, but my attacker didn't want to give me rest.

I completely lost my balance, struggling to get on my knees, but failing miserably. She managed to straddle me in a quick motion, preventing my legs to move.

I was moving my arms in a frantic manner, trying every way to hit her and take her from above me.

"Why?" I yelled, still trying to hit her.

She was slapping me, my face, my arms, anywhere she could reach.

"_Why?_ That's why!" she yelled and continued to slap me. "Because I knew you'd eventually try to run and I couldn't let that happen!"

I growled. It hadn't even occurred to me to use my relative freedom in the shower to escape past her. Let me see... maybe because I wasn't willing to run half-naked and wet through the streets?

"You should have thought about it before untying me, then, shouldn't you?" I asked with sarcasm, as I kept trying to hit her and she kept trying to slap me.

Rose finally got a hold of my cuffed wrists and held them above my head. We were both panting. She leaned in my direction till her nose was practically touching mine.

"Do not point my mistakes out or I'll tie you back – _naked_ – to that chair and I'll leave you here, waiting for somebody to find you. And when they do, guess what they are going to think? That you are a freak who's into kinky sex and was left here by an inconsiderate girlfriend, that was way smarter than you." She had an evil glint in her eyes.

I narrowed mine at her.

"You would not."

"Oh, yes, Comrade, I would."

We stared at each other, measuring our strengths. Her dark brown eyes were deep and determined, rivaling with my own for dominance. She was puffing, her chest going up and down with the effort and I couldn't help but notice how the movement made her breasts even more appealing.

Suddenly, it changed. I realized I was still only in my underwear and, after our struggle, Rose was just as soaked as I was. My body felt feverish and so did hers. Her breathing was still labored, but I wasn't sure if from the exertion any longer. She came closer to my face, her lips dangerously close. She moved her hips to angle herself above me and I gasped, amazingly aware the only thing covering my intimate parts was a thin and wet piece of cloth.

"Don't move," I warned her as she moved again.

A malicious grin spread across her tempting lips.

"Or what?" she asked quietly.

I closed my eyes tightly, inhaling deeply, before meeting her eyes again.

"Or I'm not sure if I'll be able to control myself."

The door burst open and we turned our heads at the same time without moving an inch from our position.

Princess Vasilisa stood at the door with her eyes nearly bulging out of her face. Oh, this sure as hell did not look good. Rose and I were completely soaked, my body nearly naked, and she had me pinned under her with my wrists cuffed and held above my head.

"Uh, I..." the princess started, clearly uncomfortable, "I'll wait in the other room, I guess," she said uncertainly.

"No, come on, Liss," Rose interrupted her friend and straightened her body, still straddling me. "I was just making sure he wasn't going anywhere. There was nothing happening here."

_Nothing?_

Rose noticed me stiffen and looked at me with a guarded expression. I shot her a dirty look, my teeth clenched. The damn girl was using me.

She climbed off the bed and went to her friend, ignoring me for once.

"What is it, Liss?"

Vasilisa still looked unsure, but decided to answer Rose nevertheless.

"We've been here too long," she said and then completely shut. It was a strange thing to see, because they kept looking at each other too intently for people who weren't talking. As if they were talking through their eyes.

"I agree," Rose said, but I had the impression that she agreed to much more than the simple phrase the princess had stated.

Vasilisa shot Rose a questioning look.

"We're leaving now. It's getting dangerous to stay here; they might find us."

It was like Rose answered a question not asked. Weird.

The princess gave me a small smile before leaving me alone with Rose again. I was utterly pissed at her at the moment.

"You know, big boy, you should get you sexy ass off the bed and get yourself ready."

I ignored her.

"I can always tie you naked to the chair," she added.

I grumbled to myself and got up, trying to find my balance with cuffed hands.

"There's no way I'm getting into a shirt with these." I raised my hands.

Her smile was teasing when she answered.

"Good. I wouldn't like it otherwise."

...

Walking shirtless through the lobby, with cuffed hands and accompanied by two beautiful teenagers was, to say the least, suspicious. Vasilisa seemed to be sharing my uneasy feelings. Rose, however, looked pretty much satisfied, leading our small group and gripping my right wrist.

The receptionist was distracted in his own world until he saw us. He was a young man in his late teens, huge glasses and a blond dirty hair. His eyes widened as we passed him by, not entirely believing the scene.

Rose's lips formed a man-eater smile. The boy looked like he was going to pass out any minute. Why did she have to be such a natural at this? It annoyed me to no end.

Rose raised her hand, bringing mine along.

"Kinky," she said and blinked at him.

I sighed and risked a look at the boy just as we were leaving. He looked back at me with a resigned face.

"Lucky bastard," he whispered.

_Oh, if only he knew._

**I need to know what you think! Review so that I can direct my writing ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I discovered it's actually hard to write humour. Anyway, the third chapter. Hope you like it!**

**You know the disclaimer ;)**

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The cell phone. Damn. It actually amazed me that I got to be a promised guardian, stupidity considered. The phone had been in my shirt pocket all along until I decided I had to take a shower. And now it was probably under layers of clothes in Rose Hathaway's travel backpack. Under lacy lingerie, perhaps. My only connection to the world and I simply forgot about it.

Of course it wasn't because I was being distracted by sexual innuendos. Not at all.

I had been tied at first, so I obviously wouldn't have been able to use it. But _if_ I hadn't taken the damn shower, _if_ I was now wearing my shirt, I'm sure I'd be capable of reaching my pocket with cuffed hands. I might be stupid, you see, but not retarded like the Hathaway girl was adamant to prove.

We were now at this small café having breakfast. The girls followed the human schedule and were full of energy for the day. I was tired and hungry. Incredibly pissed. Rose was sitting by my side with a bright smile on her face as she took bites from a chocolate glazed donut. Vasilisa sat just across from us. Every time I tried to put my hands on the table, Rose would force them down and continue to eat. She was probably taking satisfaction from the fact she thought she had absolute power over me. Rose had thrown a jacket over my shoulders to hide my bare torso, but it was still far from discreet. I had no idea how people weren't paying any attention to us.

As it was, the three of us were at a table in a far corner of the café, the girls discussing their next move. The princess looked concerned.

"It's never been this bad," she complained, looking down.

"Don't worry, Liss. We'll find a way. We always do." Rose was trying to reassure the princess, whatever their problem was. It sounded like a lame attempt to my ears, but, amazingly, the princess seemed to calm down a bit.

"What's wrong?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. As a guardian, I wasn't supposed to reveal my emotions, but Rose made me feel completely off duty. Being kept as a hostage of hers will actually make you forget about your work.

Rose shot me a look clearly telling me to _shut the fuck up_. Guess she wasn't in the mood to share her feelings. I ignored her, turning to Vasilisa and arching one brow in a silent question.

The princess hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"We're running out of money."

"Liss!" Rose chastised her.

I blinked unbelievingly.

"How come a princess runs out of money? You have an inheritance!"

Both Vasilisa and Rose snorted. I could have expected that from Rose, but from the princess? I just stared at them, keeping my distance and not knowing what to expect.

"Come on, you're a guardian. You got to have more brains than that," Rose told me.

I glared at her, but that only made her smile widen.

"My bank account has been blocked for the past two years. They wouldn't just let two teenage runaways have full access to that much money," Vasilisa explained.

Oh. Rose really was trying to pass me as retarded.

"How have you been surviving then?" I asked, assuming that would be the next logical question and trying not to embarrass myself any further.

Rose looked at me very seriously – the most serious I had ever seen her.

"We have been selling our bodies."

Vasilisa choked on her tea whilst I stared wide-eyed at Rose. No, not that precious creature. Blood vanished from my cheeks, leaving me like a dead man.

They both started laughing uncontrollably, nearly falling on the floor.

"Oh, you should look at your face! It's priceless!" Rose screeched, tears running down her cheeks.

I was fuming. You don't get a man like Dimitri Belikov infuriated!

"You can't lie about such things! This is very serious! Do you have any idea what would happen to _you_ if word of this got to the Council? The _last Dragomir _rumored as a blood whore! Your life would be ruined, not only your career! You've already taken care of the latter," I finished sarcastically and immediately regretted it.

Her laughter instantly died.

"What are you trying to get at?" Her body was stiff, all playfulness gone.

I sighed.

"_You_ are the dhampir. You are supposed to take the responsibilities, to look after her. You've already taken her out of the Academy; don't drag yourself into deeper shit by destroying your reputation and hers."

I suddenly realized I had just cursed in front of two students. Well, technically they weren't students, but still. Soon they'd be, if it depended on me.

I thought Rose was going to throw a smart comeback at me, but she didn't. Instead, she kept looking at me, those gorgeous dark eyes surveying my soul. I didn't know what she was looking for. I couldn't see the impact my words had on her, because her features were frozen in blankness.

"That will never happen," Vasilisa's voice came out fiercely, pulling us from our bubble. "I will never let anything happen to Rose," she promised in a dark tone.

Rose looked away from me, to her friend, and her face softened. I couldn't begin to understand these two. Rose cleared her throat, glancing at me.

"He's right. I shouldn't be making fun of such thing," she said, staring down at her hands.

To say I was surprised was an understatement. I would never expect her to agree with me, and yet, here she was, doing exactly that. There had to be something more to this girl than what the eyes could see.

We ate in silence. An uncomfortable air fell around us and no one dared to speak. The princess got more and more fidgety in her seat until she couldn't take it anymore. She got up abruptly and informed us she was going to the restroom. Rose made a motion to follow her, but Vasilisa argued it was daylight and nothing bad was going to happen.

I shook my head. How naive they were. Bad things happened day or night, but they were too young to see harm beyond Strigoi. I didn't say anything mostly because the restroom was right next to our table and we'd be able to get there in no time in case anything _did _happen. Besides, those two had been on their own for two years. I wasn't going to be the one to act all paranoid.

That left the two of us. Rose just sat by my side in silence. I looked out the window, watching the passersby. I knew I had to escape from them, get back to the Academy and come with an army of guardians to take them back. I had promised Rose I would never lay a hand on her and the mere thought of it deeply disgusted me. I had to escape and I had to do it using my brains that Rose liked so much to belittle. But could I leave them to themselves again? I doubted Rose had trained those years. She wouldn't be able to protect the princess. She wouldn't be able to protect herself.

"I would never risk her, just so you know that."

I turned to Rose as her voice broke the silence. She was gazing fixedly at the plate in front of her.

"I know you wouldn't," I said softly, also some sort of apology to make up for my previous behavior. Why I thought I should apologize I had no idea. I suppose she was too young and I already felt like a mentor. That was the only explanation, wasn't it?

Rose risked a glance at me.

"You think I messed up, don't you?"

I didn't know what to say. She had messed up. She should have never left the Academy. But I also thought she was valuable, way more than people gave her credit for, even though she was technically my kidnapper.

My silence must have worked as a confirmation to her question, because she turned to me and looked me in the eyes, irritated and pleading, all at once.

"You can't judge me! You have no idea what I – what _we_ – have been through!"

"Then tell me and I will know."

Rose shook her head dismissively. She looked down at her hands, then up to my face, then down, then up again.

"Wouldyoutrainme?"

She spoke so fast I couldn't understand a word out if it.

"What?"

Rose closed her eyes, looking pretty much annoyed. If at me or herself, I had no idea. She took a big breath before trying again:

"Would you train me?"

Like I said, I never knew what to expect from her. I stared at her anxious face without knowing what to answer. She was admitting to having flaws, to being incapable of fighting properly. Rose probably thought of herself as weak; I had never met someone so brave.

"What would I get in return?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

She looked around as if trying to come up with something good enough for me.

"You get to take your shower without company."

I smiled.

"I want my hands free. No cuffs."

Rose looked at me with the you-can-only-be-a-moron look.

"No way. The lone shower or no deal."

My grin widened.

"No deal, then."

She snorted.

"Come on! You know I haven't been training for the past two years! I'm way behind people from my year back at the Academy. Even if I don't have any intention of graduating, that still means I can't protect Lissa properly!"

"That's why it would be perfect if you removed these cuffs from me. I could protect the two of you, you'd go back to the Academy and learn to fight with your colleagues and everybody would be happy. See? Perfect."

She crossed her arms and slumped or her seat.

"Stupid Comrade," I heard her mutter.

A phone started ringing somewhere. After a minute, the sound persisted and I started to get annoyed. Couldn't somebody just pick it up? It seemed to be getting on Rose's nerves as well. She leaned down to pick her backpack up from under the table, probably looking for her iPhone. As soon as the bag was on her lap, we both froze. The ringing sound was coming _from_ it.

I reached for it, but she was faster. In a swift motion, my cell phone was in her hands. Rose snapped it open with a triumphant look on her face.

My salvation and it was glued to Rose's ear and mouth. My life was over.

"Dimitri?" Rose asked. "Oh, no, he's busy at the moment." She was grinning at me and her voice was lazy. "You want to leave a message?"

I waited, incapable of moving a muscle, as whoever was speaking to her answered.

"_Tasha?_ I'm sorry, he never mentioned you."

I closed my eyes, foreseeing the end of the world. My long time friend, who had also been in love with me for the past eight years, was talking straight to the doom of my existence.

"Yes, I'll tell him– Oh, Dimitri, stop!"

I snapped my eyes open. I hadn't come any closer to Rose, why was she telling me stop? And stop what?

She got up from her seat, backing away from me.

"Yes, he's here," Rose said between giggles. Giggles. "Not _there_, Dimitri, you know it tingles!"

My face fell as I realized what she was doing.

"Mmmm," she moaned. "I'm sorry, Tasha, but he's – mmmmm!" And she burst into giggles again.

I got up from my seat and reached for the phone, but she was already expecting it and my movements were limited by the cuffs.

"You crazy! Give me that phone now!" I hissed.

Rose just shook her head and stood away from me. Every time I went for her she was already out of my reach.

"I'm so sorry, Tasha, but Dimitri," she gasped very convincingly and moaned real loudly, making some customers turn to look at us. "Well, like I said, he's busy." She grinned evilly at me and clicked the phone shut.

Rose was standing two feet away from me with the most innocent look on her face. Myself, I think she could see my murderous glare, but amazingly so, she didn't look afraid.

Just then, the princess decided it was time to return from the restroom. She looked at us both, not getting the situation.

"Did I miss something?" she asked pleasantly.

I half-whispered, trying to will some control into my voice.

"She faked sex with me and had a phone spectator!"

Vasilisa looked at me with her eyes nearly bulging out of her face. Rose couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing.

"You... two... what?" Vasilisa asked, dazed.

"Oh, well. At least, now you have an excuse to be away from your job." Rose said approaching me. She stood right in front of me on tiptoe. "You are with your lover." She added, whispering the last word. I could feel her breath touching my lips and making me shiver.

I took a step back, glaring at her.

"You are the devil."

She gave me a crooked smile.

"I can be your devil. But learn one thing: say no to me and there will be payback. And it will be a bitch."

And a bitch it was.

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**Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Eta Carinae1 _noticed I mispelled soap for soup in the second chapter. That way, Dimitri bathed himself in soup! I couldn't stop laughing when I read that! Probably the funniest thing in the chapter and I didn't even mean it.**

**The disclaimer remains. Good reading ;)**

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He'd been staring at her for the past fifteen minutes. I was about to demand if there was any problem with the guy when I remembered one thing and noticed another. One: Rose still had me cuffed. Two: she was staring back at him.

I couldn't believe it when they told me they needed new clothes. For two girls running out of money, I'd think food was a more impending matter, but no. They needed new clothes. Teenagers.

Rose decided we should go inside the store with our arms linked so that nobody would notice my cuffs. That decided, she released one of my hands and locked the free cuff around her own wrist. I grimaced at first, realizing the only way of my escaping was dragging her along.

That was how Rose and I, arms linked and hidden by my duster, plus the princess, entered the store. Vasilisa didn't waste any time and started looking for skirts and dresses and... Oh, well. At least, Rose was behaving by my side, never trying anything on and doing no more than offering her opinion to her friend. Until I noticed the guy looking at her.

He had this hungry expression on his face and I could tell he was undressing her with his eyes. I felt my blood start to boil and my will was to go to his face and teach him what the punishment for pedophiles was. I mean, he was so much older than her it made me sick. He was probably in his early twenties... which made him younger than me. My stomach lurched at the thought. Ok, maybe he wasn't _that_ much older. But he was still a sick bastard that couldn't respect accompanied ladies. She was clearly with me, all but glued to my side. Well, not exactly _with_ me, but that was the impression we were trying to give off. Summarizing, the guy was a jerk. He shouldn't be looking at her. Period.

Then I noticed that Rose was staring back at him. If she had something that loosely resembled a disgusted face, I think I could have gotten away with that, but Rose being Rose, that was not the case. She was actually smiling at him. I was seriously pissed now. Sure, he was good-looking with his brown, messy hair and his green – way too green for my taste – eyes, but I was taller. That had to count for something. Surprisingly, he was a Moroi and was unaccompanied by a guardian. The man grinned back at her and made a movement toward us, but I didn't wait. I grabbed her arm tightly and jerked her to the other side of the store, where the princess was examining some dresses.

"You do remember _you_ are the hostage, don't you?"

I groaned internally, but didn't say a word. She might think of herself as a powerful woman, but I knew better. She was just a girl and I, as the oldest and wiser adult, had to guide her steps. The fact she had kidnapped me was just a detail and I was convinced we'd get over it. I frowned at that, realizing how out of my mind I sounded even to myself.

"Aren't you going to try anything on, Rose?" Vasilisa asked with an excited glint in her eyes.

Rose glanced at me so fast I would have lost it if I hadn't been paying attention. She shook her head.

"Sorry, Liss, I'm guarding you. Not to mention the fact we barely have money to afford a place to sleep." She looked at me again, but this time deliberately, a lazy smile spreading through her lips. "Besides, I think it would be kind of complicated to try anything on since I'm stuck with this big boy over here. Not that I would mind the trouble."

I rolled my eyes, but if I was going to be honest with myself, I found her witty remarks pretty amusing. I would die before I let her know that, of course. I opted for my annoyed face, rather than the guardian mask this time.

But I caught something in Rose's words and subtle actions that surprised me. It wasn't only the fact she was more mature than I'd given her credit for; it was also that she cared about my opinion. Almost as if she wanted my approval. I restrained a smile, feeling my insides warm up.

There I go, getting all cheesy again. I'd beat myself up if I weren't in public and cuffed to a goddess.

Wait. I didn't think that.

Sometime during my internal ramblings, jerk guy made another appearance. I didn't notice him until he was all over the girls, wrapping them up with his sweet talk.

"Really, girls, I don't mind. Feel free to model your lingerie to me if you need some outsider's opinion."

"I can model your nose to the shape of my fist, if you wish," Rose said I and felt my chest inflate with pride. Until I looked at her and saw that, despite her snarky comeback, she looked sort of amused.

"I say we shape our bodies to one another, what do you think?"

Vasilisa laughed, but it was Rose who irritated me. She rolled her eyes, only there was a smile tugging at her lips.

"We should go," I said sternly. "Unless you have money to pay for the entire store, you'd better stop here, princess Vasilisa."

"It's Lissa," the princes stated, a little embarrassed by her shopping compulsion.

"Well, well, you never told me you had a tower as a body guard," the jerk commented and I had to gather all my control not to punch him on the face.

Rose tightened her hold on our linked arms and winked at him.

"I like them big."

The boy's eyebrows shot up at his hairline as he looked at her with an incredulous face and the princess tried to control a fit of coughs.

"Why, little dhampir, aren't you straight to the point."

I was too pissed to be embarrassed. I kept glaring at him with my worse face that would give children nightmares, but he paid no attention to me. He only had eyes for Rose.

"We should get going, Rose. We still need to find a place for the night," Vasilisa said, still recovering.

"Rose," jerk boy said, as if tasting the word on the tip of his tongue. "I'm Adrian Ivashkov. Delighted to meet you." He'd better watch it or he wouldn't be so happy to meet _my_ fist.

"Can't say the same," Rose said, but she was trying to refrain a smile.

That was enough. I jerked Rose along, but Ivashkov grabbed her arm. He slipped a card into her free hand and gave it a quick peck before letting go.

"I'll be waiting eagerly for our next meeting," he said and I growled. They all seemed surprised by it, but I took the opportunity and pulled the girls out of the store with me. Vasilisa didn't even get the chance to take her clothes with us. She'd survive and we'd have more money, not to mention the plus of getting hid of the bastard.

I nearly ran down the street, jerking Rose along and forcing the princess to half-run after us.

"What is your problem?" Rose nearly shouted.

"Don't you see he wanted to take advantage of you?" I hissed. "That's Adrian Ivashkov! He has quite the reputation, in case you haven't heard!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I have quite the reputation as well."

Vasilisa was running out of breath, but she finally managed to catch up with us when we stopped at a traffic light.

"Thank... you," she said, out of breath.

I looked at her confused.

"What for?"

She looked at me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"For not telling on us, of course. He was a Moroi. You could very well have warned him about us having kidnapped you and you didn't. So thank you."

Oh. I hadn't even thought of that. The only thing that mattered was to get Rose – to get _them_ – out of his claws' reach. It occurred to me I'd been barely thinking of the princess all this time.

Rose eyed me with a knowing look. She knew. Rose always knew.

...

Our new room had a double bed and a single bed. The arrangements seemed fairly simple at first: the girls would share the bigger bed and I'd be cuffed to the smaller one. That was exactly the problem, though: the smaller bed wouldn't fit me. But neither Rose nor I wanted to hear about it. The princess tried to argue with us that, since Rose was the shorter, she should share the double bed with me, but she backed down when Rose and I shot her our best death glares.

I'd been sitting on the single bed for two hours, listening to the girls discuss their financial problems. The princess was utterly resentful with the fact she couldn't use her own money. It was unreachable, blocked in her account. Due to some of fate's irony, our little motel was located right in front of a bank. The two of them had spent the last hours looking mournfully out the window, longing for it. I had lost count of how many sighs they had already given.

Rose finally got tired and came to sit by my side.

"Bored much?" she asked, trying to raise one single brow and failing miserably. It was actually cute.

"Not at all, I'm having the time of my life here."

She smiled and stretched out her long legs and arms, giving me a full view of all of her curves and all the places her tight jeans and top clung to her body. I had to divert my eyes for fear she'd see the hunger in them. I was no better than the Ivashkov jerk, really. This wasn't right. Rose deserved more respect than that.

As if she had heard my thoughts, she spoke:

"There's always the Ivashkov guy, Liss," she called out her friend. "We could ask for a loan; I'm sure he wouldn't deny us."

"You only met him today," I pointed out, somewhat annoyed.

"I only met him today and he already likes me."

I sighed, so not willing to start that conversation.

"He's right, Rose," Vasilisa said and I was sure God heard some of my prayers. "Besides, he wouldn't be crazy to the point of helping two runaways. Outlaws, even," she frowned.

"Not if he didn't know who we are."

Vasilisa and I simply stared at her, showing our total _lack_ of support.

"Fine," Rose said, contradicted. "I was hoping things wouldn't get to this. But you leave me no other choice."

I narrowed my eyes at her, a hundred percent sure I would not want to hear whatever she had to say.

"What choice?" the princess asked, hesitantly.

Rose looked out the window, thoughtful.

"You're not going to like it."

I was losing my patience here. I was sure I wouldn't like it, but it wouldn't stop her from doing whatever evil scheme she had on her mind.

"Say it," I demanded.

Rose looked at me and I felt chills run down my spine.

"You see the bank in front of the motel?"

I nodded.

"We are going to rob it."

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**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's been some time, but I'm still here! What can I say? Life's getting bitchier. This chapter is not particularly funny because I haven't been too inspired. I'll try harder, I promise. Thanks so much for the reviews; I loved them all ;)**

**I own nothing, but I guess you've figured that by now. Enjoy!**

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Rose couldn't stop eyeing the card Adrian Ivashkov had given her. It was annoying to some extent, but I had made a vow to myself not to acknowledge her any longer. I was going to keep my mouth shut. She had crossed the line with the bank robbery thing and I was absolutely not going to support her.

The moment Rose verbalized her plan, I laughed. It wasn't until the princess asked her how we were going to do it that my laughter died. I wondered when had I punched an old lady in the face or drowned a cat to deserve that. Right then, our argument started, but Rose made it very clear I had no say in the matter. Fuming, I half yelled my help wouldn't be needed and threw myself on the bed, hands still cuffed, closing my eyes and surrendering to sleep.

It had surprised me, when I woke up, that Rose ignored me completely. Not for one second did she bring the matter up. Then I saw her with Ivashkov's card and the simple memory of the scoundrel made me want to kill him.

I watched as Rose picked up my phone – which now she owned – and looked at it curiously. I felt a knot in my stomach, hoping feverishly it wasn't Tasha calling again. Rose glanced at me and I summarily looked away, but I didn't miss her wry smile in my peripheral vision. What was that girl up to?

"Here, Rose, I found it," Vasilisa called.

Rose was by her side in a second, both leaning to see whatever was on the laptop on the smaller bed. They seemed victorious and that could only mean one thing: I was in deep shit.

Since it was still day, I was in the double bed and the girls on the smaller one. They were sitting close together planning their evil schemes. I tried to move slightly closer to them, trying to look nonchalant, but the moment I changed my position Rose snapped her head in my direction.

"Getting curious now, Belikov?"

I ignored her and her smirk.

"Princess Vasilisa, I trust your judgment. You know, as well as I do, this won't end up well."

Rose looked outraged by my ignoring her, but the princess sighed loud enough to stop any bickering that might start between us. That is, if I ever did talk to Rose again. Which wasn't going to happen as far as I was concerned.

"It's Lissa, Guardian Belikov. I know you think this is crazy, but we have to. We have no money. Besides," she added, smiling to her best friend, "Rose is going to look after us."

"That's the exact problem!" I shouted, desperate to get the princess to see reason. "She's going to get us killed."

Rose growled and made a movement in my direction, but the princess grabbed her arm. There was a glint in Vasilisa's eyes that I didn't like at all.

"Well, if she's going to get us killed, then I guess it would be one great reason for you to come with us, don't you think?" She was staring straight into my eyes and it made so much sense. Of course I should go with them.

"I think so," I answered, wondering why had I ever thought otherwise.

Then it dawned on me and, for the first time, I was angry with the princess.

"You compelled me!" I accused her, rage written all over my face. I hated that Moroi had such a power over us. I hated even more when they used it on others against their will. When something is told to be immoral, there's usually a reason behind it. So yeah, taking another's '_free will' _away from them is beyond being immoral.

Vasilisa looked away, trying to hide her own shame. I'd usually be the one to make people comfortable, but right now, I wanted her to feel as ashamed as I thought she should be. Rose, of course, disagreed.

"Really, Comrade, it's not like we don't do it all the time." I noticed how she said 'we' instead of 'she'. "It's a world of the strongest and we need to survive.

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

She tried to hide a smile, but I caught it trying to break through her lips.

"Be nice and I won't ask her to compel you to throw your clothes away and walk around in your underwear." Her face brightened a bit more. "On second thought, I could simply punch you and take them off. You know, my own way of compelling people."

"And you want me to teach you to fight so you can punch me?" I snorted. "You wouldn't win a fight against a Moroi. You are untrained. Useless." That was harsh and I regretted my words as soon as they left my mouth. Rose flinched, but her features hardened.

"Well, what is there to say about great Guardian Belikov in that case? Taken down by a useless dhampir girl." She laughed, but it was cold. I felt a twinge somewhere inside of me, even though I wasn't the one hurt.

Rose disappeared through the door, enhancing the guilt I felt. I had to remember she was just a girl.

Vasilisa was staring at me with analytical eyes. We were alone in the room now and I had no idea what to say to her now that her friend was gone.

"You wanted to see what we were talking about?"

It took me a moment to understand, but then I saw the laptop lying forgotten on the bed. Vasilisa got up and brought it closer to me so I could have a better look. It was a page on the internet with data about... Adrian Ivashkov. What the hell?

"Rose got the information on the card he'd given her and we did a little research." Her eyes shifted to the floor and her hands were fidgety. "Apparently, his bank agency is located right across the street."

I gave her a look, begging with my eyes for it not to be true.

"Princess–"

"Lissa."

I exhaled slowly.

"Lissa. The two of you can't seriously want to go on with this. If they catch you..."

She shook her head.

"I'm going to use compulsion. Lots of it. I would have been able to compel you completely if I had kept trying and you're one of the strongest men I've ever met. As you can see, I'm good. No one is going to find out."

I stared at her until she noticed the look on my face. I was a guardian, an adult, and the whims of two girls would not win me over. The princess sighed heavily and went to her place on the smaller bed.

I was at piece with my conscience.

...

It was so damn hot I woke up, sweat all over my body, in the middle of the night. I wasn't used to the human schedule and the heat only added to my lack of sleep. I tried to get rid of the shirt my sweet captors had let me put on during five blessed free cuff minutes that now I regretted. It was so hot I wish I had no clothes on. I tried to move to work my way around the cuffs, but an unexpected weight pulled my right hand down. I looked down only to discover my hands were no longer cuffed to each other; my right hand was now cuffed to Rose's gracious wrist.

I swallowed hard, taking in her curvy body on the bed. It was dark in the room, but, looking around, I could see Vasilisa was asleep on the smaller bed and Rose and I were sharing the bigger one. How the fuck that happened, I had no idea. I remembered getting to sleep before Rose was back and the princess promising to wake me so that I could move to the other bed when she arrived. Guess you can't trust the royals.

There was no way I could take off my shirt. I could feel I was going to get ill if the heat persisted. Stupidly, I tried to maneuver my hands and arms with no success. Rose must have felt my movements, because she started to stir. I froze for several seconds, making sure she was still asleep. With precise and slow movements, I continued with my impossible task of taking the shirt off, actually managing to take it off my left arm and head – until Rose moaned.

"What the hell are you doing, Dimitri? I hope you're not trying to _pleasure_ yourself while you're cuffed to me. I'm so going to give you a broken nose if you're doing that."

I looked at her somewhat embarrassed. I would never do something like that. Not beside her, anyway. I shook my head with a new image attached to my imagination now.

_Ah, hell._

"I'm trying to take my shirt off. It's too hot."

"Then do it."

"I can't. I'm cuffed to you."

A few moments of silence passed. I was too tired to keep up with her, so I just laid in bed, listening to her soft breathing by my side.

"Wasn't I supposed to be sleeping on the other bed?"

More silence. I was starting to think she wasn't going to answer.

"When I got back, both of you were already asleep. Lissa probably didn't want to wake you, so she slept on the other bed."

I nodded to myself, accepting her answer.

"Where did you go?" I asked quietly. Knowing Rose, she'd most likely ignore me.

"I went to have a look of the surroundings. We have to know our steps perfectly."

Yes, she was going till the end with the bank robbery. I sighed, wishing everything with Rose could be easier.

"Are you really going to steal money from his account? Adrian Ivashkov? "

"No," she said and I felt hope rise in my chest, "I'm going to steal from Adrian, the butcher. Of course it's Ivashkov."

I rolled my eyes, but she probably didn't see it.

"Dimitri?" I turned my head to her. She never called me by my name and it was the second time tonight. Maybe sleep made her vulnerable. That was a nice idea.

Before I could respond, I felt movement on the mattress. Suddenly, Rose was on top of me, laying her chest against mine, face dangerously close to my lips.

"What are you doing?" I tried to hiss, but my voice was husky.

I could barely see her in the dark, but I felt the touch of her abdomen on mine. Her skin was sweaty and that made me close my eyes for a second, just enjoying the feeling. She was wearing a bra and loose shorts. I couldn't actually blame her; it was damn hot. But she shouldn't be torturing me that way. Still, I made no efforts to take her from her position.

"Dimitri," she said. It was the third time tonight, and this time, I felt the hairs on my arms stand up under all the sweat. Her voice wasn't seductive like I expected it to be; it was tired and hopeless. And I was concerned.

"What is it, Roza?" I put my hand on her cheek, feeling the small smile that appeared when I said her name in Russian.

"We are not going to make it without you."

She didn't have to tell me what she meant. A small part of me – an irrational one, I tried to convince myself – wanted to believe she meant that on the long run, but I knew she didn't. I was a trained guardian, an experienced man and I could help them get their money. I knew why they chose Ivashkov's account: they didn't want to take from those who didn't have much and, besides, it wasn't like Ivashkov would ever care for such a small quantity compared to his fortune. The girls had learned he'd been to the bank a few days ago so as to solve some of his father's problems, but he didn't care much for his own account. That was when we ran into him at the store, though Rose might say it was when she met her next victim. I wondered if Rose started to plan the robbery right then and if this room we were in, coincidentally located just across the street from his bank, was as random as I thought at first.

I ran my hand through the bare skin on her lower back, making her shiver. It was such a bold gesture I almost stopped myself in mid-motion, but when I felt the drops of sweat on my palm, I knew I couldn't stop. She was so close and her smell was so good. I wasn't thinking about her age or the fact I was the hostage; I wasn't thinking at all. I let myself get lost in the feel of her, moving my hands up and down her torso and her sides, but never letting them go where I knew they wanted to.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a small voice was telling me that this was her own way to compel me. I ignored the thought, realizing, for once, I didn't care. Another voice said it was wrong. I shouldn't be with her this way, but I wanted this. Oh, and how I wanted.

Rose's free hand ran up my left arm, from my wrist to my shoulder and back down. I couldn't control the shiver that ran through me. We weren't kissing, we weren't really doing anything, except for... caressing each other's skins. It was so intimate, but I wanted more. I could feel that as my arousing started to get more pronounced. I used all my control not to press myself into her. We shouldn't be doing this. It was wrong. She was young and an outlaw and... beautiful.

Rose sat, straddling me, and it reminded me of the time she first cuffed me. Her core was dangerously close to parts I would no longer be able to control if she kept teasing me like this.

"Dimitri."

The fourth time and there was that tone again. That tone that made me stare into her eyes and lose myself.

"Help us," she pleaded.

I swallowed, having trouble to find my voice.

"What do I get in return?" I asked, forgetting about all my concerns. I wanted her. Hell, I wanted her right now. Whatever she offered me, I was going to take it and use it well. I was picturing ways to make her repay for my favor in hard motion, in slow motion, but in all of them, making her beg for more. Rose was turning me into something wild and I didn't know if I would be able to ever find my control again.

She took my cuffed hand in hers and could feel myself harden, eager to see what she was going to do with it. I closed my eyes in anticipation, letting out a shaky breath.

_Click_.

I opened my eyes, but Rose was no longer on top of me. She kneeled by my side as I looked in shock at my free hand. I was no longer cuffed.

Her lips brushed my ear and she whispered:

"You get your freedom."

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**Let Belikov think his life is easy.**

**Please, please, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Considering I've never robbed a bank and have never withdrawn large amounts of money, the written bellow is purely based on my imagination. Hope you like it! Ah, unfortunately, I own nothing, but Mr. Bergmann.**

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Dimitri Belikov and bank robbery were not two things that went along well. That's why I was sweating as if death itself awaited by the end of the hallway, even though the air conditioning should be probably freezing my bones.

I was nervous. Dimitri Belikov was _never_ nervous. But I couldn't help it as the manager led us through a hallway to a secluded room where the procedure would take place. He'd been surprised by the amount of money we were to withdraw. Thankfully, that was as far as his suspicions went; a clear sign that the plan was doing great so far.

"Mr. Ivashkov, this way, if you please," Mr. Bergmann, the bank manager, said, opening a door.

A few moments passed, no one daring a move. I wonder what the man was waiting for. Only when I felt Rose's hand squeeze my butt hard, I understood the manager was talking to me. I suppressed a yelp at her touch (I would never _yelp_ in front of Rose), making a mental note to give her hell for that later. I glanced at her only to meet her glare. What? Now it was my fault?

As we walked through the door into a nicely furnished office, I noticed the expensive paintings on the walls and the dark wooden theme all around us. It screamed wealthiness. It was a bank for rich people, after all; the least I could expect was that they decorated accordingly. Of course, it only added to my nervousness.

The manager made us sit across from him at a large oak desk. He flipped through some pages of a file he produced from one of the drawers. It was eerie silent, but neither Rose nor I would try to interrupt his work.

I could still remember my latest show of stupidity. She'd finally taken the cuff from my hand, dangling freedom in front of my face amongst her sexual innuendos. I think she had me pretty much hypnotized there. I should have knocked her out and run, but no. I just lay on the bed, captured by her eyes, her lips and that luscious hair that lately had started to haunt my illicit dreams with an underage girl that also happened to be a criminal.

I was so fucked up.

The moment the illusion broke and I made a movement out of my haze, Rose already had me cuffed again. She gave me her word, however, that the deal was up: all I had to do was help them get the money and they'd release me. I wasn't so sure what to think of that, but a man has got to take any chances he's given, so I agreed. Never mind their plan was a little too ambitious for my taste.

So here we were – except for the princess, who Rose insisted stayed at the hotel with everything packed for us to flee. The manager sat across from us, flipping through the pages of whatever document he had in his hands, clearly convinced I was Mr. Adrian Ivashkov. How? Let's just say Vasilisa had charmed a silver watch that was now on my wrist with compulsion. I didn't know that was possible and, apparently, neither did the girls until Ivashkov himself appeared in one of Vasilisa's dreams to teach her how to charm silver objects. I ardently hoped that their naivety in believing a dream wouldn't get us caught.

Mr. Bergmann looked up from the files on his hands with a satisfied smile on his face.

"It seems that everything is in order, Mr. Ivashkov. Now all we have to do is take your fingerprints; let me just go get the device."

Rose and I were both frozen as he left the room. I looked at her, ignoring the blond wig and blue contacts she was wearing. Rose was also wearing a pair of charmed earrings, but I wasn't so sure what those were for, since I was the one playing the Ivashkov guy and she already had the wig and contacts.

"What now?" I hissed. "I bet you and your princess friend didn't think of _fingerprints_!"

Rose was way too calm in my opinion.

"We'll put this off as long as we can. Then, we compel him into oblivion. What do you think these earrings are for?"

I doubted a pair of charmed earrings would give us the power to compel anyone (my looks excluded), but let the girl believe in her own fairy tales. I think Rose noticed my skepticism, because she leaned into me as if to say something.

"We might have to offer him sexual favors," she whispered in my ear, much to my horror.

"You have to be out of your mind to say–"

She interrupted my infuriated speech with a soft and comforting hand on my arm.

"I know, Dimitri. If you sacrifice yourself for us, Lissa and I will be eternally indebted to you." She complemented with fake innocent eyes.

I eyed her with the information going wild in my head before I could fully understand what she meant. I narrowed my eyes with fury.

"You little–"

"Shut it. He's back."

Mr. Bergmann sat across from us with a big smile on his face before turning to a shelf to pick one last document.

"He's smiling too much," Rose murmured in my ear hurriedly, "Seems like you're not getting rid of the sexual services."

I ignored her mocking comment. We had to focus on the matter at hand.

Bergmann apparently had everything he needed now. He handed me a sheet of paper with information about the conditions for the huge withdrawal we were about to make. I read it superficially, trying to convey some interest in my actions. I was not really bothered, since any shit would have to be dealt by the real Ivashkov. I could feel Rose's excitement by my side, though the only thing she was trying to give off was sheer boredom. I just knew it.

"Here, Mr. Ivashkov. All you have to do is place your index finger upon the device," Bergmann said.

I was so distracted thinking of Rose that I didn't even notice the device the manager produced out of his pocket. Ok, maybe it was a little too big to have come out of his pocket, but I have no idea where it had come from. It was a little bigger than my hand and a green light was coming from under it. I immediately recognized it as one of those devices that took digital fingerprints, meaning it would take no more than a few seconds for him to discover I was not who I claimed to be. The thought made me agitated and I scratched my nose in a fidgety move.

Rose started massaging my thigh, squeezing it a bit. I had no idea whether she was doing that to soothe me or call my attention, but sure as hell she was igniting some reactions from me that weren't proper for a bank office.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked the manager with a sweet voice that didn't match her at all. "You know how Mr. Ivashkov could take it as an offense." Rose was playing my – or rather Ivashkov's – girlfriend. Considering he changed girls on a regular basis, Lissa thought a simple wig would do for her.

Bergmann looked taken aback.

"That's not our intentions at all, sir," he quickly stated, addressing me. "But it 's a standard procedure for such large cash withdrawals."

The poor man seemed frightened. Why was it that these girls had to be so insane?

"Do you have the money?" Rose asked with authority. I felt like laughing, but she elbowed my ribs, making me cough, instead.

"Yes, miss, I have it here." Bergmann took a suitcase from under the desk and put it on the wooden surface. I briefly wondered if it had been there waiting for us all the time. It would have saved a lot of trouble if we had simply grabbed it and run away while he left us alone in the room.

Bergmann opened the lock, eager to show us his efficiency. God forbid Adrian Ivashkov thought badly of him.

My breath caught when the suitcase's content was revealed. I gulped, staring down at the largest amount of money I'd ever seen in my life. It was all green and green and there were so many dollars... Shit. The suitcase was nearly overflowing with money. Whatever quantity Rose and Vasilisa had in mind, it would be enough to last them for the rest of their lives. And they say Ivashkov wouldn't even notice that... He must be filthy rich.

"Now...," I could tell Bergmann was nervous, "The fingerprint, if you please, Mr. Ivashkov."

A huge sigh from beside me startled me.

"Really, Mr. Bergmann," Rose insisted, but this time there was something in her voice hinting more than she spoke. "You know there's no need for that. I'm sure we can get to an agreement... on our own."

I felt the beginnings of anger rising in my guts, but I suddenly got it. Rose was trying to compel him. Thank God he was human, because, by all means, it wasn't discreet; any Moroi would have noticed what she was trying to do. The only reason I didn't see it at first was because a dhampir trying to use compulsion was way out of the ordinary, but I had to give some credit to the charmed earrings. So far, they were working.

Not entirely, though. Bergmann was incapable of getting his eyes off of Rose, but the struggle was clear on his face. With a sudden show of strong will that we weren't expecting, the man tore his eyes away from her and grabbed my hand violently, placing my finger on the device before I could react.

Three seconds of agonizing wait. And then it beeped, accusing the fingerprints didn't match.

Slowly, like a snake preparing to strike, a very lucid Bergmann raised his eyes to us. For a moment, we all just stared at each other. Then, he ran for the door with a speed we weren't prepared for, but he had the bad luck the door was closer to us. Rose was on her feet in a second, launching herself against him with absolute no technique, but complete effectiveness.

I heard his head crack against the wall and he was out.

I ran to Rose's side, putting my arms around her in a tight embrace. She rested her head on my chest and I could feel she was shaking.

"Shhh," I tried to soother her, stroking her silky hair, "It's okay."

"He... He's not dead, is he?" she asked hesitantly.

I let go of her, knowing it was necessary so I could check the man's limp body on the floor. I searched for his pulse, and sure enough, it was there.

"He's alive. Unconscious, but not for long. You don't need me to train you, after all," I offered with a smile. She responded with a shy smile of her own. "Let's get out of here."

We looked at the door, and then the window. Our eyes locked and we both knew what to do. We had to get out of here fast; soon somebody would come looking for Bergmann. With a nod, I hurried to open the window, looking down to estimate our height. It would be one hell of a fall if we lost our balance. About thirteen feet, if I could guess. Our best chance would be using the window sills for support as we lowered ourselves from floor to floor until we reached the ground. I quickly explained this to Rose, only to be rewarded with a mischievous smile, much to my surprise.

"Easy-peasy, Comrade."

She threw herself out of the window to my great despair. I followed her with my heart in my throat, trying not to miss any step. I looked down quickly and saw that Rose was almost to the ground. With a sigh of relief, I continued my way down until my feet touched the pavement underneath them.

"The suitcase!" I exclaimed, turning around to see Rose.

"Relax, Belikov," she said from behind me. I turned to her in time to see her lifting the suitcase to my eye level. "We got the money." She had a grin on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes.

I tried not to show the confusion I felt. Everything had worked out just fine, right? So what was up with her sour mood? I took a step in her direction, but she stepped back.

"You can go now," she said in a cold voice. "You helped us get the money. We'll never be able to thank you enough, but you're free to go."

My guardian mask was full on now.

"There's a way to thank me," I told her. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question. "You could come back with me to the Academy. Both of you," I quickly added.

Rose laughed, but there was no fun in it.

"This is where we part ways, Guardian Belikov. You should forget you ever met us. If anyone asks, just say things didn't end well with your lover. I'm sure _Tasha_ has already spread that story."

The way she said Tasha's name made me want to smile. If I wasn't wrong, and I hardly ever was, there was jealousy in it. Rose didn't seem to think the fact a guardian ran away with a lover would be potentially disgraceful to his career, but I decided not to mention this.

"You know I can't do this," I told her, trying to mask the regret in my words, "Once I'm back, I'm going to have to inform them about what happened."

There was something bitter in her expression and I wanted to take that away from her beautiful face. When she spoke, her words were laced with venom:

"Then do it, Guardian Belikov. We won't be here when you come to get us." She looked like she was having a hard time trying to compose her face. "And, by the way, I did need your training."

She turned on her heel and walked away. Away from me. I watched, frozen in place, until she turned a corner and disappeared.

I blinked desperately, not sure if the last part of my life had been real or a surrealistic dream. I was free. Free from what? From a seventeen-year-old who could barely take a human down? Damn. Rose couldn't look after herself, let alone after the princess. But what was I supposed to do? I had to go back to the guardians and inform them of the girls' whereabouts, even though I was sure they wouldn't be here by the time the guardians arrived. I would go back to the beginning – me, running after those two, without a clue about where to look next. Did that mean I would never get to see Rose again? Would I never hear that energetic laugh or those witty remarks I learnt to crave for?

There was something clenching my heart. A lump was forming in my throat, but I had no idea what that was for. A raindrop fell on my cheek and I realized I'd been standing in the same spot for some time.

_Waiting for her to come back_, a voice whispered in my ear, but I quickly dismissed it. I shouldn't be standing so close to the "crime scene", so I ordered my feet to move. Rose and the princess were probably on the road already. Why did I feel like kicking my own butt? The butt that Rose had squeezed earlier... Shit. It was never a good sign when you started having nostalgic memories about your ass.

I wandered for I don't know how long until I noticed my feet had unconsciously led me to the crappy hotel we'd been staying at before the robbery. I looked at our window. A few hours ago, Rose was convincing me to take part in her crazy plan, offering me what I wanted the most – my freedom. Now I wasn't so sure of anything any longer.

All I knew was that I was worrying. I knew they'd have money and wouldn't be going through any necessities. I knew nobody would be able to blame me or Rose because of the robbery, since we'd been very well disguised. But I was worried about their safety. They were only two girls and, although Rose firmly believed she could take on the world, I knew better.

A scream cut the night – I hadn't even noticed the sun go down – giving me chills. It wasn't coming from far away. My guardian instincts kicked in and I ran towards the sound, readying myself for anything.

A second scream pierced the night air and I froze. No, no. This couldn't be possible. They shouldn't be here. I ran faster than before, forcing the air into my lungs, as I knew time was running out. My heart was pounding in my chest and pure fear shot through me. Another scream reverberated all around me and I knew I was close, but the despair I felt almost numbed completely.

Because the scream was Roza's.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Well, this is not a light chapter. Not funny either. But after this, I'll get back to the lightness, ok? Thanks so much everybody who's added me to their fav****/alert list and everyone who reviewed! I own nothing but the plot.**

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I pushed my legs harder, nearly slipping when I turned the corner to the alley where I thought the screams were coming from. I knew that area from my previous wanderings with Rose, trying to scan possible escape routes in case the robbery didn't turn out as we expected. I knew the alley was poorly lit and the perfect place for any suspect activities. What I saw stopped me in my tracks, wrenching my heart at the same time an uncontrolled wrath came over me.

Rose lay on her belly, her beautiful face pressed against the cold pavement. She looked badly beaten. A black-haired Strigoi was towering over her slack body and, for a moment, I thought the worst. My anguish dulled my body and mind as I stepped forward, seeing nothing but red. I wanted blood. I wanted his blood.

Right when I was about to strike, a ghastly grin spread through his lips and he forced his left foot on Rose's arm. It was slow and nauseating and the pleasure he seemed to be taking in this had to be orgasmic, judging by his face. I was frozen; a dead weight on my own feet. I wanted to rip his head with my own hands and scream my pain to the world, but Rose beat me to it. As the Strigoi deepened the pressure against her arm, a sharp cry came from her otherwise unresponsive body. The cry soon turned into a full scream filled with so much pain and agony I could almost feel them under my skin. Then I heard a _crack_ and the screaming stopped.

That was all it took to take me out of my trance.

Faster than a blink, I was kicking the Strigoi's stomach, throwing him away from Rose and against the alley's wall. My hands ached to touch her and make sure she was okay, but I couldn't afford that. There was a hissing Strigoi charging at me. Too bad for him I wanted his neck just as badly.

He tried to land a punch against my right cheek, but I dodged and fell purposely to the ground, kicking his legs from under him. It worked, but sooner than I expected he was on his feet again.

"Somebody's angry, dhampir," he half-growled at me. I ignored him, knowing perfectly well that his main purpose was to distract me, though he should also be trying to piss me, since I was the one who ended his fun. "Isn't that illegal? A grown man like you taking advantage of a girl?"

That made _me_ hiss. I ducked to the right and he followed my movement, blocking my attack, but before he could react, I dodged to the left and caught him off guard. He stumbled and I used my opening. I pushed my stake right through his heart, the ferocity in me so great and out of control that I felt when it pierced his back and went out the other side.

I let his dead body fall to the ground and ran to Rose with my heart pounding in my chest. I quickly assessed her state, clumsily trying to hold her in my arms as I sat on the ground. I didn't know how to hold her. There were bruises and scratches all over her body. Her left eye was starting to swell already and her lips were cut. I raised a hand to caress her soft mouth, but it came soaked in blood that wasn't mine. I widened my eyes and started to search frantically for the source of it, ripping her clothes where my hand had been resting. There was a gash on her abdomen, right under her belly button. I didn't think it was too deep, but it was bleeding a lot. Just the sight of her blood pouring out her body made me sick. I finished ripping off her shirt, for once not bothered by her semi-nakedness, and pressed the cloth against the wound. After a few minutes, the bleeding stopped, confirming my thoughts it was only a superficial injury.

I touched my front head to hers and let the tears I'd been holding fall. They cascaded down my cheeks to hers and silently washed away the blood from her delicate features. Her breathing was soft and she wasn't in any apparent danger, but I had no idea how far the beating had gone before I found her, meaning she could have internal injuries.

This was my fault. This was all my fault. If I hadn't let her left without me, if I had gone after her, none of this would have happened. She would be safe and with the princess... Oh, shit, the princess. She was nowhere in sight and, quite frankly, right now I didn't give a damn. I had to take Rose out of here.

I held her more firmly against my chest and began to stand up, but she moaned in pain.

"Shhh," I murmured into her ear, trying to calm her, "Everything's ok now. I'm with you." I kept whispering words with no sense in Russian, lulling her out of her pain. I know I wasn't succeeding because she kept making small and anguished noises. I felt tormented to be the one causing her pain by moving her, but we couldn't stay here. More Strigoi might come, humans might come, and then we'd be in some serious shit.

I was about to try to stand again when something caught my eye. It was a picture abandoned on the pavement, close to Rose's body. I was very careful when I reached for it, not willing to hurt the girl in my arms even further. It was a photo of Rose and Lissa. They were wearing fairy costumes and were grinning so much it made me smile looking at them. So beautiful. Rose would do anything for her friend. I shook my head and put the picture in my jeans pocket.

Not pausing to think, I got to my feet with Rose in my arms, securing my hold tightly around her. Unexpectedly, she grabbed my wrist. It was a feeble attempt, but there it was.

"Comrade," she whispered and her voice was so weak I nearly cried again, "Where... where are we... going?" She didn't have breath for an entire sentence. Here and there, her pauses would try to compensate her lack of air, but the effort was obvious.

"To a hospital. You might have internal bleedings and I'm not risking you."

She tightened her grab on my wrist, even though her touch was still as light as a feather.

"Take me... to Lissa." She was hallucinating. There was no Lissa here. There was no sign of Lissa at all. "Here," she said. Tao my surprise, she seemed to be catching on my disbelief. "In my pocket. Address."

My brain must have registered her words as an order, because my fingers moved to the pocked on her shirt before I could tell them to. Sure enough, there was a small creased piece of paper in it. I opened it and read an address, which, according to Rose, should be where the princess was now. I felt an internal struggle. I wanted to take her to a hospital despite all the questions that it might raise amongst the medical team, but Rose's wish was just as important.

"Please," she asked in a small voice, "Lissa will look after me."

I believed her. With a blind trust I had never felt before, I started to move. I might regret that immensely, but this time I was doing as Rose told me. I had no idea where this address was located, so I decided to take a cab. Whoever looked at us would think I'd just given my girlfriend one hell of a beating, so I took off my duster and covered Rose with it. I wasn't so sure it hid her wounds very well, but it looked better than before and it was dark.

I walked to a busier street and whistled to a taxi that was passing by. I hopped into it, swaying a little, like I was drunk. The driver looked at us through the rearview mirror and frowned.

"Women," I slurred, "They never know when to stop drinking." I handed the address to him and he disregarded us as no more than an inconsequent couple.

The minutes that followed were agonizing. I waited and prayed, prayed that God wouldn't let anything bad – or worse – happen to her. I rested my cheek against her front head until the car came to a stop. Barely containing myself, I paid the driver and was out in a second. I should have been surprised to see the hotel in front of us. It looked luxurious, gleaming against the night, but nothing could take my attention away from finding Vasilisa.

I checked in, crossed the hall, took the elevator – and not for once took my eyes from Rose's face. Now that we had better lighting, I could see how pale her face was and how blue her lips were turning. The dread I felt made me tighten my hold on her, feeling the coldness around her body. She didn't complain – she didn't whimper, she didn't move.

The moment the elevator's doors opened to the floor the receptionist had sent me, I was running in despair, frenzied in my search for the right room. My eyes finally glued to it and I launched myself against the door, slamming my shoulder against it. There was a yelp from the other side and, to my immense relief, I heard Vasilisa's voice:

"Who is it?" she asked, hesitatingly so.

"Dimitri!" I growled. I didn't have time for that.

She unlocked the door like a hurricane, only to freeze as she understood what was happening.

"Rose!"

I pushed past her to the giant bed in the room, unaware of my surroundings. I gently placed Rose on it, careful not to hurt her, even though she was past the pain now.

"Come here, Vasilisa!" I barked.

The princess kneeled by her friend, tears streaming down her childlike face.

"Rose said... Rose told me to take her to you," I managed to say somewhere between my gasps for air and the sobs that I couldn't control any longer.

A look of understanding crossed the girl's face and she immediately grabbed Rose's hand. Damn her – damn them both – if it was only so that she could hold Rose's hand on her deathbed.

At first, I saw nothing happen. I was so mad, mostly at myself for not taking her to a hospital, that I wanted to rip my own skin off my body. I grabbed my head with both hands and doubled over myself, closing my eyes to pretend this wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Roza couldn't be dying. What would I do if she...? No. No, no, no. I sobbed harder and harder, feeling my heart bleed and knowing that, from this day on, a scar would remain opened. Forever bleeding, forever aching, forever mourning.

It was my fault. It was all my fault. I had killed her with my stubbornness not to trust her. I should have followed her from the beginning.

I felt something warm touch my side, but it wasn't solid. It was warm air brushing against me, creeping through my clothes until it reached my skin, then my muscles and, finally, my bones. It brought a light sense of peace that wasn't enough to erase my sorrow, but I could feel its attempts, nevertheless.

I slowly raised my swollen face to the pair beside me. What I saw made me gasp. Vasilisa had a look of pure awe mingled with supreme happiness glowing all over her features, all directed to Rose. And Rose... I let out a strangled cry. There was color on her cheeks again. Her lips were no longer blue, but were now a healthy pink. Her breathing was deeper, stronger. Oh, Roza. She was mine again.

The princess suddenly fell on Rose's body, clearly passed out from whatever exertion she had gone through. I couldn't even begin to fathom what had just happened, but I couldn't care less. I was elated, flying high in my own happiness. I jumped out of the bed, looking for another bed, anything I could put the princess on. I found a door leading to an adjacent room equal to the one we were in. I carried Vasilisa to the bed in the other room, making sure it was safe enough to leave her alone for the night.

I got back, closing the door behind me. Rose was asleep on the bed with a half-smile on her face. I grinned, feeling my heart expand till it occupied my entire chest. What dreams were on her beautiful head right now?

I walked to her side, kneeling so that I could brush my hand on her cheek. I put a strand of her hair behind her ear, feeling its silkiness on my fingers. Oh God. She was okay now – we were okay now.

The bruises and scratches were still scattered there, but I could see they were nothing to worry about. Her clothes were ragged and there was dry blood on her skin. I sighed, knowing what to do.

I gently took off her clothes, doing my best not to regard her perfect curves. I was a guardian; I had control. I could do this. I found the bathroom, still not paying much attention to the decoration of the room, and got back to her with a wet cloth. Slowly, gently, I cleaned the blood from her skin, taking my time to appreciate the smoothness of it, her skin only separated from my own by a piece of cloth. I had a soft spot for Rose. I cut the thought, shaking my head. The words of the Strigoi suddenly assaulted me, making me shiver. _Isn't that illegal? A grown man like you taking advantage of a girl?_

I pushed the thought away. Now wasn't the time for such thing. I looked down at Rose, who was sleeping peacefully – in her underwear. I had no idea where her clothes were, so I took off my own shirt (thankfully, it wasn't torn) and dressed her with it.

I sat on the bed by her side, struggling with myself. What the hell! I lay next to Rose and scooted closer to her, pulling her against my bare chest. I held her, making sure she was safe in my arms. The scent of her hair caught me by surprise and I couldn't help but bury my nose in it. Oh, how... delicious. Roza, my Roza.

I held her tightly against me, feeling complete for the first time in a very long time, until sleep came over me. In my dreams, I knew I was bound to meet her.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Surprise! I bet you weren't expecting an uptade this fast! Think of this as a Christmas gift. For those of you who read my other story, I'm working on my next chapter and I hope to post it tomorrow.**

**You know the disclaimer. Good reading!**

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She was smiling so peacefully in her sleep I couldn't bring myself to wake her. I stayed in bed, holding her, admiring the soft features on her face. _Damn_. What was wrong with me? Ever since the events yesterday I couldn't take my hands off her. I was completely out of line and I knew it. Just a little more time, just a few more minutes and I'd get up and live her alone. A man like me, an adult, shouldn't be touching a teenager this way. A girl. A _child_.

Rose moved in my arms and I knew I couldn't stay like this any longer. I heard something from the other room. The princess must have woken up and I needed to talk to her. I needed answers and, seeing as Rose wouldn't be up for some time, I'd try her friend first.

Unwillingly, I disentangled my arms from around her perfect body and pushed myself off the bed. I immediately felt the absence of her warmth around me. Hell, I shouldn't be regretting those things. I was very aware of the fact that nothing could happen between us, although my body needs might say otherwise.

Dragging my eyes away from her (this shouldn't have been so difficult), I walked over to the door leading to the adjacent room, stopping to knock. An undistinguished sound came from the other side and I took it as an invitation.

Vasilisa was there, sitting crossed legged on the bed. It was the first time I actually paid attention to my surroundings. The room wasn't huge, but it was a considerable size. Big enough to hold a king-size bed, above which a medieval looking chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. There was a nice desk facing the wall next to the exit door and heavy golden curtains hid the window, letting no more than a sliver of light get into the room. The tiny lamps on the chandelier were on, however. The princess was protected from the brightness of day and, yet, we were in a bright room.

She looked worn out, but her tired eyes and smile welcomed me weakly. Out of respect, I stayed on my feet.

"So..." she started, a bit unsure. "You must have lots of questions."

I nodded, mostly to myself.

"Princess," I started, but she cut me.

"It's Lissa. How many times do I have to repeat that?" She sighed heavily and the way she said it startled me. Her tone was no longer the gentle, calming one I was used to. "I'm sorry," she added, wrinkling her nose, "I didn't mean it to come out like that."

"It's okay... Lissa," saying that was too weird, but I was following royal orders. And she had saved Rose. "You've been through a lot last night when you... healed her."

Vasilisa clicked her tongue and looked at the curtains as if she could see beyond.

"Should I compel you to forget it?" she asked and my eyes widened. "Not just last night, but all of it. Life would be simpler, you know." She looked back at me and the glint in her eyes was scary. "Forget that you ever met us. Forget Portland ever happened."

Before my brain could register her words, I felt a sharp tug somewhere inside my head. It wasn't painful, but I could feel something stretching and retracting, almost like an invisible hand searching for something. My memories, I realized. I panicked, suddenly understanding that Vasilisa was trying to erase Rose from my existence. Would it be easier? Absolutely. But no missing memory would ever be able to avoid the hole in my chest that not having her in my life would create. I saw Rose's face in my mind become blurry and that made desperate. No. I was not going to allow that. I wasn't going to forget her. I clenched my teeth and glared at the princess.

Vasilisa gave a loud and humorless laugh. Right then, she looked the scariest I've ever seen her. It was like it wasn't her at all. She met my gaze with a firm one.

"Just like I said. You're very strong, Guardian Belikov. You don't want to forget her. But you have no idea what we had to go through to get where we are right now. You have no idea the things Rose had to give up to protect me. I won't let you ruin her life."

I knew what she meant. She was afraid I was going to turn them in and, with that, end any chances Rose might ever have on being her guardian. I would never do such a thing, not any longer, but the princess was unable to read my feelings, not matter how otherworldly she might look in the moment. Instead of saying those things to her, curiosity got the better of me:

"What did Rose have to give up?"

The princess was somber.

"Her life."

A shudder ran through my body, even though her words made no sense. Rose was asleep in the other room. Very alive.

"Princ... Lissa. You should rest. It was a long night and I'm sure you could use some more sleep."

She sighed again, this time looking defeated. Her sudden change of attitude was almost as unnerving as her gloomy words.

"I suppose you're right. I'm not feeling well. My thoughts... they seem out of order."

She lay on the bed again, resting her head on the pillows and covering herself with the sheets.

"Did she get it?" she asked out of the blue.

"Got what? I asked back, a little apprehensive.

"The picture. It was what she went back for. She left me here with our luggage and went back for it. She was sad, though, and I think she just needed to take her mind off things and that's why she went back for the picture." She yawned by the end of her long speech and soon drifted off to sleep.

I slowly took the photo from my jeans pocket and looked at the girls in their fairy costumes. Because of it, Rose went back and the Strigoi found her. But I knew better: Rose had been sad because of me. I knew it was my fault, but having it thrown against my face, even if by a picture, hurt. She could have ended up like Ivan. Dead.

The thought brought tears to my eyes, but I wouldn't shed them. Rose was alive and that was all that mattered.

I went back into our room, wondering what had really happened when those two left the Academy. They were an odd pair and, for the first time, I found myself concerned about Vasilisa's state of mind. For a moment there, she didn't seem stable at all. I wondered if this had anything to do with their escape.

Rose stretched out her body and cuddled with a pillow, making me smile. I didn't want to admit it – not even to myself –, but it was possible that what I was feeling was more than attraction towards her. Shit. How did I let it happen? Rose would be freaked if she ever suspected an "old man" like me thought of her that way. She'd be disgusted.

I lay on the bed by her side, careful not to touch her again. No need to start something I wouldn't be able to finish. I had to get over those strange feelings that were creeping their way into my heart. But it wouldn't hurt just to stare, would it? No, it wouldn't. So I stared. I memorized her features, the soft curve of her lips, her perfect nose and those beautiful lashes.

After some time, Rose's eyes started to flutter and I knew she was waking. She opened them lazily and looked at the ceiling first. Her expression was so lost I had to suppress a smile. Then she turned her head to me and stared at me with huge eyes.

She blinked once. She blinked twice.

With a scream loud enough to wake the entire building, she jumped out of bed, scaring the shit out me. I was so startled, my feet got stuck in the rumpled sheets and I fell on my ass on the ground.

"Fuck," I cursed when I felt the pain of the impact. "What is your problem?" I hissed, all my endearing thoughts forgotten.

Rose skirted the bed, coming to my side with wide eyes and a shocked look on her face. She was clenching the sheets to her chest with such force her knuckles were turning white. God, you'd think she was a naked virgin trying to defend her honor and I was the scoundrel trying to take it from her.

"What is my problem? What is _my_ problem?" she yelled. "I wake up half naked beside a man who could be my father and you think there's no problem?" Ouch. That hurt. I wasn't that old and she knew it. She was just trying to get to me, but it hurt, nonetheless. "The last thing I remember is going back to retrieve something I'd forgotten after you made it clear you wanted to be out of my life. Care to explain why you happen to be here? And where's Lissa?" She was frantic to realize her friend wasn't with us.

I glared at her while I got to my feet with whatever dignity I had left.

"Lissa is in the other room," I barked in response. "I never said I wanted to be out of your life." This was unbelievable. "And I'm seven years older than you, that isn't much."

She smirked.

"I'm sure you were much more advanced on your relationships when I was still holding boys' hands."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me if you were ahead of your peers when it comes to that."

Her face turned instantly crimson and she looked at me murderously. I regretted my words before she could even launch herself at me, but the harm had been done. We collapsed against each other, falling on the bed. I was more than surprised to face her anger. After her close encounter with the Strigoi, I was expecting her to be exhausted, if not physically after her healing, then at least mentally. How wrong I was. We wrestled for some time and even though she lacked the skills, she had fury to spare. Eventually, I pinned her under my body, locking her legs with mine. Her breathing was labored and I could feel the heat emanating from her.

"Not so good when you're the one pinned, huh?" I teased through my own heavy breathing. I had my hands full with this girl. "I got to say it feels good to be on top."

She got my double meaning and that only fueled her anger. She tried to fight me, but I was stronger. I had a firm grip on her wrists; she wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

"You know, I saved your life. You should be more grateful than that."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she shouted at me, but her eyes widened a second later. She remembered. All the fight suddenly abandoned her body as she recalled the latest events.

"The Strigoi..." she mumbled.

"Shhh," I soothed her, letting go of her now trembling wrists. I lowered myself on her body, bringing her head to my neck. She buried her nose in it, taking in a deep breath. "It's okay. You're safe."

"I'm... I'm sorry."

Why was it that Rose looked so vulnerable around me? I didn't see her like this with others. Unsure of whether this was a good thing, I pulled back a little to look at her.

"Lissa healed you," I told her.

If possible, her eyes widened even more. She didn't seem surprised, though. She looked... disapproving. Had this miracle happened before?

"Roza... how was it possible?"

I saw when she swallowed hard, but my eyes never left her face. I wanted to see the truth in her eyes.

"Lissa's different." She looked at me with some sort of fear. "You have to promise! You have to promise, Dimitri, that you won't tell this to anyone! If they know, you have no idea what they'd be capable of..."

I put my finger on her lips, stopping her blabbering.

"I won't tell. You can trust me. I'm going to protect you."

She smiled under my touch, but it was only for a brief moment.

"Why did you come back?" she asked.

I diverted my eyes, not sure how I was going to answer that.

"After you left," I started, still avoiding looking at her, "I wandered for some time, I wasn't sure of what to do..."

"You were supposed to go to the guardians. It's obvious." Her bitter tone made me look at her.

"Is that who you think I am? A man who'll betray you as soon as you turn your back?"

She looked taken aback now. Her next words were cautions:

"But, Dimitri... This is your job. We kidnapped you. You were taken against your will. Of course you should go back and keep trying to retrieve us. I know the consequences of my acts and, after all the things that I've done, it's not like I expected any different." She sounded so, so hopeless. How could a seventeen year old be like that? She should be enjoying her youth and the carefree joys that came along with it. Instead, Rose was giving up her own life to watch over a princess who was the last of her line. Giving up her life. Maybe it was what Vasilisa meant.

I rested my cheek on her forehead.

"I know. I know. But I heard you scream and I had to get to you. You couldn't fight against a Strigoi and I knew that. I shouldn't have left you alone."

She gave a soft sigh. "Thank you."

We didn't speak for a few minutes. The silence that initially had been comfortable turned into something awkward and I looked down at her with inquiring eyes.

"Well, I don't mean to be rude by bringing it up, but... what exactly happened once we got here?" she asked, somewhat restless.

I frowned.

"Lissa healed you, like I told you."

That wasn't what she was fishing for.

"Yeah. I got that part. I mean... between us."

I stared at Rose with a blank face. What was she trying to mean? She looked really embarrassed and did her best not to meet my eyes. I tried to recall the details.

"Lissa healed you, I put her to bed, then I came back to check on you. Your clothes were ragged and bloody and I didn't know where you had clean ones, so I dressed you with my shirt. I stayed over. To make sure you were okay," I quickly added.

"Oh," she said with surprise. "I thought... I thought..."

"What did you think?" I asked, leaning an inch closer.

"Never mind."

Our bodies were touching everywhere as we stared into each other's eyes. I could feel her growing disturbance and to think that it was caused by my proximity elated me. Fuck. Here I go again. I had to stop thinking those things before I got even more enthralled with this girl than I already was.

"You know, you were a real creep watching me sleep like that. If I didn't know you are harmless, I might even be scared."

A sly smile spread through my lips.

"You should be scared. I'm not a creep, but I can be pretty dangerous at times," I teased and her smile in response nearly took my breath away.

"Oh, yeah? I'll try to keep that in mind once Lissa and I escape from you."

"What makes you think you're escaping?"

"I'm smarter than you. And faster."

I chuckled to myself. _That_ I doubted.

"I'll put a GPS in your panties," I warned her.

She giggled. "I'd like to see you try." Her face fell serious again. "Dimitri? You're not going to turn us in, are you?"

I smiled lovingly at her.

"No. That might be the right thing to do, but I can't bring myself to do it." I probably shouldn't be revealing too much of my feelings to her, but what the heck. I was feeling rather cheesy.

She raised her brows. "And how do I know I can trust you?"

I bit my lip thoughtfully and that seemed to have an interesting effect on Rose. I could see the hunger light her eyes and I sucked my lower lip. My reward was a muffled moan she could barely repress. I grinned.

"Since we both know your 'awesome' skills aren't that reliable, I decided you should receive some proper training. And I'm offering to help."

Rose was so funny. She was glaring at me, still fuming over my comment on her skills. Then, it finally clicked and she got the full meaning of my words.

"Would you? Really?" she asked like a child on Christmas morning.

"We'll see what we can do," I told her and kissed her cheek.

Good God, what happened to my life? I met a woman and she turned my world upside down. Looking into those chocolate brown eyes, I knew the holder of my desire would be only one from now on. And still... I knew we couldn't be together. She was a child and she needed protection, not to mention the crazy princess in the other room.

From captive to protector. Holy shit. Welcome to my new bandit life.

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**Hope you liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!**

**I wish you all a Merry Christmas and lots and lots of love!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long wait! I've been travelling since the beginning of January and I'll only be back next month. Till then, uptades will be slower. Thank you so much for reading! I own nothing.**

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_Three __weeks later_

Living with Rose wasn't any kind of bliss. Especially when I had forbidden dreams at night and had to spar with the very source of them in the morning.

After that night of the attack, the girls decided they wanted to be off the map for a while. They bought a house in a private beach in southern Florida that had mysteriously been forgotten by civilization. I mean, sure it was private, but there had to be at least one neighbor... somewhere. I couldn't quite figure out why it wasn't buzzing with loud families during the weekends – instead, we found ourselves in a quiet haven, with nothing but each other to spend our lonely days. Kick aside the princess and it would be heaven perfect. _Shoot me in the head_, I can't kick my charge.

Maybe 'lonely' wouldn't be the exact term, since internet had thousand ways of connecting people. Every week the girls would come up with new fake profiles, laughing till late ours and making it impossible for me to sleep. I didn't mind, not really. Not when the sound of Rose's voice was the last thing I heard before falling into the obliviousness of sleep.

A sunny state like Florida was one of the most inconspicuous places one could take a Moroi to. The obvious logic the Academy would follow was that a teenager like Rose wouldn't be able to keep her Moroi friend under such harsh conditions the sun would provide. Of course, now that I was the mastermind behind the plan and now that the princess had two dhampirs to guard her back, life for us was just a hell of a lot easier. And it was highly unlikely we'd run into any Strigoi.

My great motto in life was now '_Don't think. Just go with the flow'._ That didn't mean I'd allow myself to take advantage of Rose's innocence. Somewhere in the beginning of it all, I'd convinced myself I was doing it because of the princess – the very one I sometimes I wanted to kick. Because she was my charge and God knows what a mad woman like Rose could do with her. Excuse me: _girl_, not woman. Every day for the last three weeks I could see their suspicion slowly fading to be replaced by faith. They didn't trust me; not entirely, not yet. But we were getting there.

Sometimes I'd catch Rose looking at me. Every time, my inner caveman would expect her to blush and take it as a go sign for me to grab her hair and claim her luscious pink lips with my mouth. Every time, she'd mock me with sexual innuendos and turn around and leave, shaking her sweet ass. It drove me crazy just as well, only I knew it was a joke. It was always a joke. And thank God it was, because just seeing her was tempting enough; God help me if she ever meant those things. I felt something tugging at my heart when she would joke like that, but I decided it was best to ignore the unwelcome feelings.

The best part, though – the best part of it all –, was the training. It excited me to no end just to think about it. I still didn't let her do much but running, but just being with her was amazing. I was always learning new things, picking small habits she had, like when she wrinkled her nose when she was irritated. She'd roll her eyes when annoyed, but if it came with a small smile, then I knew she was amused. Seeing her shy side was one rare opportunity, though. There was only one time I remembered so far when I got to see her unsure of herself.

"Hey, Comrade," she greeted me in our fourth morning after moving to the beach house. Lissa was busy with the garden and Rose and I sat alone in the kitchen with huge glass walls covering the ocean. I just looked at her, waiting for whatever she'd say.

Rose bit her lip and lowered her eyes. Holy shit, I had to cross my legs as hard as I could, hoping the pain would prevent me to... grow. I swallowed my cereal without even chewing, focusing my gaze on the milk in the bowl.

"Dimitri?"

I forced myself not to snap my head in her direction, anxious to give her whatever she demanded. I turned my head slowly and gave her my best blank face.

She smiled sweetly.

"So glad to see the smile I put on your face."

I snorted. If she only knew.

"What is it, Rose?", I asked not so politely.

Rose rolled her eyes and stared at the ocean beyond our window. We could see Lissa jumping around with blossoming flowers at her feet covering halfway the patch from the house to the sea. The sun was setting, so it wasn't much of a bother.

"I know you've already said no," she started and I felt a knot in my brain. When did I ever say no to her? She stopped my protests with her hand. "But I'm willing to risk rejection again." Reject her? I'd do it as soon as I asked Alberta Petrov on a date. Ugh. Rose sighed loudly, snapping me out of my thoughts. She looked me straight in the eyes and held one of my hands in hers. "Will you train me?"

I frowned, not so sure where she was trying to get. I put my hand against her forehead, checking for her temperature with mock worry all over my face.

"Rose, are you okay? I think the sun might have cooked your brains. I'm already training you."

She slapped my hand, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips. We just kept smiling at each other like the fools we were. Or I was, at least. She was a teenager; she had the right to have a crush. That is, if she did have a crush on me. When I thought of it, Rose had never given me real signs of interest. Sure, she was all sexual innuendos, but could there really be any truth behind her jokes? I stopped my rambling thoughts when I noticed she'd never let go of my hand after slapping it.

"I mean train me _for real_. You don't have to teach me to run. I already know how to do that. What I really is want is to kick your ass," she told me with a pointed look. Did that mean she paid any attention to my buttocks?

The turmoil of feelings her touch was causing me was so great I knew the only way to control my emotions was by keeping my guardian mask firmly in place. Since the day of the attack, when I held her in my arms, we had never had any sort of physical contact again. Not even accidental brushes. To have her holding my hand like that was nearly overwhelming.

"...I know you said I could be dangerous if I learned whatever you have to teach me, but after that close encounter I guess it's pretty clear I need the training," she was babbling in shame and I had been lost in thought – again – enough to miss the beginning of her speech. "But after all that time, I think you kind of got the hint I'm not about to knock you out again," she complemented with a blush. There it was! The blush I'd never forget, because it was so rare and precious.

After that, I agreed with training her _for real_ as sternly as I could, making a point it was only because of Lissa. Truth be told, the only reason I was needed here was because Rose needed to be trained and, as long as she wasn't ready, they both needed somebody watching over their backs. I could tell myself a hundred times my only motive to be doing this was to keep the princess safe, but let's be honest: who turns his back to his life because of a job? They weren't keeping me hostage, not any longer. And, still, my greatest wish was to gain their trust. Rose's trust.

So today was our first practice for real. I briefly contemplated the state I wanted Rose to be after we were done – tired, sweaty and panting. Hardly satisfied. I wanted her to crave for more. Shit, my choice of words was giving my mind a hard time as it tried to wander to other things but teaching Rose how to be a fighter.

I was at the small patio next to our house when I heard her footsteps. The mats were already laid on the ground and the sun was high up in the sky, right in the middle of the human day. Our day now. I knew the heat would only make things harder for Rose, but I wanted her at her limit. This was going to be good. After all, tired, sweaty and panting was the goal.

...

"Ouch," she cried when I hit her abdomen with my elbow. She gasped and took a step back, massaging the area.

"Shit, Rose. Did I hurt you?" Of course I had to hurt her. She had no fucking skills and I was fighting the poor girl like she was a pro. Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me. I was sure the concern was written all over my face, but I didn't give a damn. I reached for her top, lifting it to see the red mark I gave her. It was going to be a purple bruise in the morning. "I'll go grab some ice," I told her, already moving.

"No worries, Comrade." I looked at her face, only to be met by a pained grin. "If your other parts are as hard as your elbow, I'm sure I know some better ways to heal my pain." Then she winked. She fucking winked. Hot damn. Speak of hard, I was pretty sure there was a rock under my pants.

I walked away from her, grabbing the cold bottle of water I left by the mat. I quickly threw the water over my face, feeling it as it ran down my neck, chest and back, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind. _Focus on the cold water_.

"Dimitri?"

I refused to look at her. If I did, I might not be able to control myself.

"Did I say something wrong?"

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply.

"No, Roza. That's the problem. You always say just the right thing," I mostly muttered to myself, but I think Rose heard something. When I looked at her again, she had the most confused expression on her face. That was another thing I'd noticed about her. Sometimes she'd frown like anyone else. Other times, like now, she'd stare intensely at me as if trying to dissect my soul. I was the only person I'd ever know to receive that kind of gaze from her. Of course, that could be because Rose was currently in contact with two people in her universe and the other one besides me was her best friend, so Rose wouldn't have to unveil her secrets.

Suddenly, a familiar ringing cut the silence. I stared at the distress on Rose's face before realizing it was _my_ cell phone that was ringing. She quickly picked it from her discarded gym bag beside the mat, fumbling with her fingers to press the right button and, I supposed, end the call.

Like I would let that happen.

I grabbed her in a headlock swiftly, taking the small phone from her hands. I let her go, but kept the phone with me. Rose tried in vain to snatch it back, but I was taller and held it above my head.

She was giving me a hard time, though, and it took me a while to read what was on the screen. I finally did, letting the phone fall and crash into pieces.

"What. The. Fuck," I roared, daring her with my eyes.

"Shit," she whispered.

Shit? 'Shit' was an understatement. I could feel the taste of blood in my mouth. If the Queen herself had call Rose I wouldn't have been more surprised. But no. It had to be Adrian Ivashkov.

And I was fucking jealous.

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**Any suggestions? I'd love if you could leave a review ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm really, really sorry for the long absence. But writing this chapter was like giving birh, so please don't be mean. Anyone still reading this? I hope you like it, anyway. I own nothing, bla bla bla. Enjoy!**

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"Care to tell me why the hell is fucking Ivashkov calling my number?"

Rose wouldn't look at me. She shrugged in what I would like to think was embarrassment and seemed to shrink in front of me. Good.

She mumbled something I couldn't make out.

"What?" I snapped in a very impolite way and that was probably the stupidest thing I could have done. My anger turned into wariness as I watched Rose straighten herself and give me the glare of death.

"That's not even your cell phone anymore! Just because _we_ took you with us, now you think you can reign all over us! You're not my father, you're not my brother, you aren't even my friend! What makes you think you can boss me around?"

"I am your mentor!" I yelled.

I had to close my eyes for a second to keep from doing anything too harsh. It was a really hard task, by the way. I could feel the muscles pulling at my neck and I was fairly certain the vein at my temple was trying to pop out of my skin. The thought of Rose talking to that bastard was too much for my poor nerves. And I wasn't even her _friend_? Did I really mean nothing?

Rose snorted and, God help me, she was cute when she did that.

"Yeah, you are my mentor. A really tall, a really sexy, but an incredibly annoying one at that."

I shook my head. Wait. Did she say "sexy"? I arched one brow expectantly.

"Oh, look at that," Rose laughed nervously, "We look like an old couple arguing. God forbid we shall be massaging each other's feet any time soon."

The visual was pretty distracting and that, plus the delightful info she was letting out in her skittish state, was causing some really strange feelings inside of me. Almost like I could feel my guts tickle.

I was nearly giving in to my darkest fantasies where Rose and I played major roles when something occurred to me. Something unnerving.

"Rose..." I started and I could hear how menacing my voice sounded. How did that scum bag get my number?"

She stared wide eyed at me, blinking a few times, but not making one single move. She bit her lip and lowered her face, looking up at me through thick eyelashes. So demure. Shit.

I decided to change my approach.

I took a few steps, towering over her for effect. This damn siren would not win me over right now.

"Rose..." I was warning her this time and, apparently, she hear it, because she looked away and cursed under her breath.

I lowered my gaze until our eyes were at the same level. My hands on her shoulders got her attention and she snapped her head in my direction, nearly hitting our noses. The sudden proximity seemed to have an effect on her. She immediately tensed under my touch and locked her eyes with mine, unable to look away. I could see unknown emotions flicking through her eyes, but I couldn't interpret them. This was driving me crazy beyond the imaginable and I felt my hands flex on her skin without any order from my brain. We were so close... I could smell the sweet scent of her lotion mixed with sweat and something else. Something that was just... her. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to lick the drops of sweat that were covering her temples from our training, our discussion and whatever else that was putting her nerves to the limit. I hope it was me bringing her to the edge.

She mumbled something and the movement of her lips had me spellbound. I licked my own lips and wondered if I should just lean in, just move a little bit closer and...

"He's in my dreams," she said in a voice that belonged to locked bedrooms and lovers.

I blinked in confusion. He? Could he be... me?

"Adrian," she clarified.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was a bucket of cold water on my face. I felt lightheaded. I had to take a step back, putting a decent space between us. My oxygen-deprived brain demanded that I inhale deeply.

"You've been dreaming of _him_?" I pretty much squeaked. I couldn't say his name. There was a distinct pain in my chest that was tightening by the second. I wondered if I was having a heart attack. I wondered if I was going to cry and how pathetic wouldn't it be.

I watched in slow motion as surprise, turned into shock, took over Rose's features. She opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, but nothing came out of it. I had to massage my chest with a hand to physically ease the pain.

"NO! No, no, Dimitri! I swear... I would never... I wouldn't... Dimitri, no. Dimitri, NO!"

She was practically ordering by the end of her speech. To what, I had no idea, but she was definitely demanding. Like I was the one to blame for her love preferences. I was about to tell her just that, but she raised a hand, signaling me to wait. Being the good pussywhipped that I was, I obeyed. Pussywhipped? Forget about it, I never said anything.

She took a long breath.

"He's been invading my dreams. Like, really _invading_. He appears unannounced, out of nowhere and stays for as long as he wishes or until I wake up. Meanwhile, he talks and talks and talks and generally just babbles about anything. It's so annoying!"

Again, she finished with her nervous laugh. It was something she did whenever she was hiding her true emotions.

"Annoying like me?" I asked and, judging by her desperate look, she saw the hurt in my face.

"Look, I'm saying I didn't ask for it. It's his entire fault."

I shook my head, angry, hurt and not knowing what to think of it.

"You're telling me the dumbass has the power to get into your dreams?" I asked in disbelief. It was her turn to get pissed.

"You saw Lissa! If she has the power to heal like that, who are we to say Adrian can't get into people's dreams?" she shouted.

As a kid, my mom had sent me to therapy to learn how to manage my anger issues after I beat my father into a bloody pulp. Now, I breathed in and out just like I had learned all those years ago. I would never lash out on Rose. But I would absolutely smash my own hand against the wall, just imagining it was Ivashkov's pretty face until it was a fucking bloody pulp. I had some serious trouble controlling myself.

"Okay," I finally said in a trembling voice. "Let's say I believe you." Rose's face immediately lit up and I felt my knees buckle, knowing how much my approval meant to her. "It still doesn't explain how he got my number.

Her face fell and I wanted to kick myself for it. Except I shouldn't feel this way, since she was the one with the explaining to do. I was a goner.

"Well... He might have asked," she told me and bit her lip. Coy and delicious. And I was a pedophile. "And I might have given it to him."

Now, I didn't like that.

"And why would you do that?" I asked, closing my eyes and keeping all my rage locked within the limits of my chest, ready to roar its way out. My voice was smooth like velvet. If Rose knew me well, she'd know that was a bad, bad sign. Apparently, she did, because the nervousness in her voice was palpable when she responded.

"Because... we're friends?"

I had to laugh at her. Un-fucking-believable. I could swear she was going to start begging forgiveness for her reckless acts and promise me she would never again spare a thought for him, let alone talk to him.

But no. Of course. This was a damn Hathaway we were talking about.

"You know what, you asshole?" She asked, completely indignant. "You have no fucking right to tell me what to do or not to do. Mind your own business, will you? I'm big girl. I can handle myself."

Innocent little Rose. She thought I was only worrying about her honor. In a way, I guess I was – making sure _no other male but me_ was in a three mile radius from her. I felt dirty, knowing I wanted her honor to be all mine when I shouldn't. Because I was old. God, this was so twisted.

None of these thoughts stopped me from grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around, locking her in an embrace against my chest. She tried to wriggle out of it, but I was having none of it. I lowered my mouth to her temple and spoke so low I mostly breathed my words into her ear:

"You think you can handle yourself? I disagree. You're good, but you can be better. I'll teach you to be better. But that will only happen if you let me. Will you let me teach you?" I tightened my hold and, for a second, she melted. I was afraid she could actually feel the physical impact her body had on me.

"Yes," she said softly, "I'll let you teach me."

I wanted to nibble her earlobe. God, how I wanted that. It wouldn't be too offensive, would it? Surely no more than a friendly show of affection.

A cough interrupted my thoughts. Now I was royally pissed. Until it kicked in that someone was actually clearing a throat because Rose and I were in such a... compromising position. I turned hastily around, expecting to find the princess, but with Rose still firmly locked in arms. What I found surprised me and angered me to levels that made bubbles of hate burn in my chest.

Green eyes, a crooked smile and the air of who owned the world. But the worst was the hunger with which he looked at my girl, like he was ready to eat her. Fucking Ivashkov was here.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I all but growled.

He laughed, not a matter in the world.

"Well, I see the cradle robber here wastes no time. Very well done, Belikov."

"Damn you," I heard Rose hiss and was shocked to think it was directed at me. Then I looked down and discovered, to my delight, that she was glaring at him.

"Not happy to see me, little dhampir? But in our dreams you're always so willing to spend time in my extraordinary company," he pouted, the bastard.

Rose threatened to jump him and I had to tighten my hold on her.

"I'm never willing," she spat and looked up at me like it was just the two of us, "I swear I have no idea how he found us. I would never–"

"Shh, it's okay," I told her, placing a finger on her lips, "I believe you."

We must have spent some time smiling at each other like idiots, because Ivashkov decided it was time to clear his throat again. Only this time he sounded nauseated.

"Please, little dhampir," he said with a little bit of disgust in voice, "You underestimate me. All I had to do was to trace your phone's signal via satellite and there you go. Sweet little dhampir on the map."

"You dumbass", I spat, "What if someone was following you? Do you have any idea what this would mean to these girls?"

I felt Rose tense in my arms. Ivashkov looked at me pointedly and I felt the hypocrite that I really was. _I_ had been the one designed to take these girls back. That was my job I was insinuating he was here to do. Truthfully, I had never told Rose I wasn't still going to do that eventually, but, deep inside me, I already knew. There was no going back.

"People back at Court are still wondering about you. Gone in a mission to retrieve two runaways and never came back. There were some rumors about you eloping with a lover. An unknown lover, because Guardian Belikov, the ever responsible Guardian Belikov, and a woman was something unheard of." He raised a brow mockingly. "If they only knew, huh? But a minor, Belikov? You could be not only fired, but probably arrested for that. Statutory rape, you know."

"You wouldn't dare!" Rose yelled. I kept her in place, but I was cold inside. Every word he said was true. What was I thinking? This wasn't my life. This wasn't me. "There's nothing between us! I kidnapped him!" Rose shouted. I couldn't believe she had admitted that.

Ivashkov raised his hands, showing he was harmless.

"I won't do anything, little dhampir. I'm just stating a fact – how your relationship would be seen back home, that's all."

"There's no relationship between us," I said in a quiet and deadly voice that made me cringe. I thought I felt Rose wince slightly too.

"So you're her hostage?" he asked with incredulity dripping from his words.

Both Rose and I felt uncomfortable.

"We're... friends," she said.

"Because you kidnapped him? And he was so happy with that he decided to become friends with you?"

If there was a time to punch that freaking asshole in the face, it was now. But I was too busy trying to restrain Rose from doing the same thing my hands were itching to do right now. Bastard.

"Anyway," he continued with a victorious grin, "I made sure no one followed us, because, little dhampir, no matter how badly you think of me, I still worry about your well being. But," he added before our hearts could settle at a normal pace, "I did bring someone along."

At that, I finally couldn't hold Rose any longer. She used my surprise to escape from my arms, but failed to get to Ivashkov. She tripped in her own hurry to clean the ground with his face, but I was faster. I enveloped her waist with my arms before she could fall and she bent in two like a ragged doll, with me holding her from behind, her ass securely in place against my hips. Talk about compromising positions.

"What. The. Fuck."

My head snapped at the sound of the familiar feminine voice. Standing behind Ivashkov was no less than... Jesus, the woman was unstoppable. Tasha Ozera. Looking absolutely pissed and about to rip someone's throat. What the hell? And here I was with Rose bent at the waist, her ass up in the air right in front of me. The best part? I made no move to change this at all.

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**I'm sorry for any mistakes. You can always point them out and help me improve my writing. Reviews are welcome!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I know your eyes are not willing to believe it, but yes! It's an update! I didn't consciously abandon the story, I just didn't know where to take it and kept putting it off until I got... well, here. I'm not proud of it, but at least now I know where we're heading. This is supposed to be a short story, so I believe there won't be more complications now.**

**Sorry to keep you waiting!**

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I didn't want to listen to her.

I didn't want to see her.

I didn't want to acknowledge her existence.

We had moved to the living room and Tasha was clinging to my arm, stating she actually forgave _me_ for my previous indiscretions – which would be having my... hum, "little me" pressed tight against Rose's backside. And what a backside, should I say.

Back to the matter at hand, I could hear the woman saying something, but all that I could focus on were the beautiful, angry eyes in front of me. Rose had her back against the living room wall, arms crossed and a scowl marring her face. Her eyes darted from glaring at me to the hand Tasha had on my biceps. I didn't like it either, but I had no idea how to put the woman on her place without being rude. After all, we had been friends for at least half the years Rose had seen in her short life and, even though I wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into Tasha, I couldn't forget said reasons above. I was just that refined.

Rose scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Dimka?" Tasha's annoying voice called me and I had the impression it was not the first time. She shook my arm. "Where?"

"Where what?" I snapped, slightly miffed already.

She smiled indulgently at me. "Where will we be sleeping?"

I stared at her in utter disbelief as I froze in place, the little hairs at the nape of my neck bristling. I think I heard Rose growl.

Fuck me sideways.

"I don't know about Dimitri, but I have a dirty piece of cloth waiting for you by the kitchen door, bitch", Rose all but snarled.

Laughter exploded around us, reminding me of the presence of the Ivashkov guy. However, not even my dislike for him could surpass the burst of amusement I felt at Tasha's thunderstruck face. It lasted only a second before morphing into wrath, pure and ugly.

"How dare you, you little piece of blood-"

"Enough!" I cut her, my blood boiling for once. More than ever, I wanted to give her that punch she was begging for. She stared up at me, indignant, until she saw my glare. Yeah, if looks could kill... I have no idea how I managed to control myself, but, for the sake of us all, I did it.

Adrian, aka playboy vampire with no scruples, decided it was time to make his presence known.

"You know what, little dhampir? I think we should let those two to each other. Don't you happen to have room in your place for one more?" he asked Rose with a suggestive wiggle of his brow. I felt ready to transfer that promised punch to him.

Rose was fuming, teeth and fists clenched in obvious, though unexplainably controlled, fury. A small part of me, one I wasn't particularly proud of, actually hoped she would deliver those punches for me.

"Actually," she screeched with a strange emphasis, looking at Ivashkov, but not really seeing him, "I have a lot of room in my bedroom. I wouldn't mind at all having company," she finished with wide, angry eyes. For some reason, she was aiming her anger at me. Good Lord, I had done nothing! I felt my neck get warm as I started seeing red. "You can go sleep with your dear Natasha. Enjoy," she said to Tasha, ignoring me. She grabbed Ivashkov's hand and yanked him out of the room with her.

I made a move to go after them, but my arm was pulled back. I turned around, pissed, already knowing what to expect. Tasha had a somewhat coy expression on her face, but it looked far from convincing.

"What?" I snapped.

Her face fell a little. Shit, I had to remember we were friends after all. Tasha could be arrogant and sometimes mean, though she usually didn't notice it. Her haughtiness was naive in its foundations.

"I'm sorry, Dimka. I didn't mean to make you mad."

I exhaled tiredly.

"Just... forget about it." I shook my head. No use arguing with her now. Though I was still very much pissed, it would lead to nothing good.

She clutched my arm harder.

"But, Dimka, you have to see... That girl is up to no good. She's trying to seduce you."

I turned my head slowly, trying to show her with my eyes the deep dislike I felt for her right then.

"It's in her eyes every time she looks at you," Tasha insisted, "She wants you, Dimitri. I know such things when I see them."

"You would know about it, wouldn't you?" My voice was dripping with sarcasm and Tasha noticed it. She was surprised for a moment, but we were interrupted before she could say anything.

Ivashkov cleared his throat, hiding a smirk. I hated him.

"Can I have a moment with Belikov, Tasha?"

She eyed me, then him, suspiciously, but nodded her agreement and left the room in silence. Good. I wanted her as far from me as possible.

"What do you want?" I asked through clenched teeth, not turning to look at Ivashkov. I want to use something to help me vent my frustrations and his face was just there, begging to be crushed. Better keep still. Precautions, precautions...

He laughed.

"Rose is asleep. Incredible how anger can wear people out. It's your own fault, you know."

I turned around sharply, facing him.

"My fault? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You should have spoken against Tasha. You should've cut her off when the first syllable went out of her mouth."

I narrowed my eyes.

"I wasn't raised to offend people that haven't harmed me."

Oh, how I wanted to take that crooked smile out of his face.

"Such a gentleman," he commented with a shrug, "but look where it got you – in a room with Tasha and me in another with Rose. Well, I can't complain."

I took one step forward, my hands itching. "I'm not sharing a room with her. And you _sure as hell_ will not be sleeping anywhere near Rose." My whole body was vibrating with anger at that point, but Ivashkov seemed unimpressioned by it.

He laughed again. However, something in him sobered up a little.

"As you wish, Belikov. That's not what I'm here to talk about, anyway."

That got me curious.

"What is it, then?"

It took him thirty five seconds of a long stare away from me and through the window to start talking.

"Your story kind of worked. They're not happy about it, but it has happened before, though no one could imagine something like that from _you_. Always so focused, our Guardian Belikov."

"Again, Ivashkov. What are you talking about?" I was so tired it was starting to overcome my anger.

This time, he smiled.

"Of you. Running away with a lover. And nobody had ever even heard of you having a girlfriend, so they were all stunned. And right when you were in middle of a serious investigation, perhaps the most important of your life. You could be the princess' guardian if you brought her back. You had high bets on you, you know. Then, suddenly, you disappear. Only news from you are that you ran away with a lover. Unexpected. Shocking. But, after awhile, they let it go, because there had been precedents. It's not unheard of to have guardians running away from time to time."

He stops and muses, then, so lost in himself I wonder he'll be back any time soon. With a blink, he focused on me again.

"It's not the same for Rose. She's kidnapped the last of a royal lineage, kept a princess in danger of facing Strigoi. You have to know, Belikov. They won't stop looking for Rose and Lissa. And when they find them, Lissa will go back to her comfortable life, but Rose will have nothing. She's already been judged and convicted."

A moment of silence passed between us. Every beat of my heart hurt. It shouldn't be like this. I knew I had given up fighting against Rose, but that didn't mean I wasn't aware of her deeds. She deserved whatever might be brought against her, so why did I feel so desperate? So immensely protective? Could my attraction to her be getting so out of control? Unless it was... something else. Something more.

No.

I shook my head, not quite able to think about it. All I knew was that I had to protect.

"I won't let anything happen to her."

Ivashkov smiled, but it wasn't a happy one.

"It isn't in your hands. Once, with your reputation and strength, you might have helped her. You don't have those anymore."

He was right, of course, at least about my reputation. But I was still strong. That boy was giving me a headache and I wanted nothing more than prove him wrong.

"Why do you say that?"

Ivashkov was already leaving the room when my question stopped him. The look he gave me spoke volumes. He was concerned – for Rose, of course. I understood that all he had told me was for her good.

"If you have to ask me that, than you are dumber than I thought."

I ignored his poor attempt of testing my patience.

"Why?" I repeated with more force.

He looked me in the eye.

"Because you can't think straight anymore. And you know why that is?" I held my breath. "Because you're in love."

He closed the door quietly after him and left me with my headache.

...

I was asleep and, in my dreams, she was with me. Soft touch and warm caresses, slow and lazy kisses all over my skin. A peck on my lips, the sweet taste of her mouth. Our tongues mingled and I felt her fingertips on my brows, making my eyelids – and my heart – flutter. Any minute I would wake up because of the pounding of the vital muscle within my chest. Her nails scratched lightly my nipples and I felt them harden under her touch. Roses were never sweeter.

"Roza..." I murmured and I heard a gasp in response.

Suddenly, my chest was burning, like hot fire was spreading through it, but not in a good way. I was about to melt; I was about to burst. The smell of burned sheets reached my nostrils just as I inhaled deeply in order to calm my sleep self. I coughed desperately, trying to get the smoke out of my lungs, but it was useless. The air was getting thicker and I could feel some kind of pressure starting to build inside me, squeezing me from the inside out.

I was going to die.

"Who, Dimitri? Who makes you feel good?"

I opened my eyes and saw Rose crawling up my body in a cat-like manner. I was laying in bed and she placed herself straddling my hips in nothing but her underwear. I swallowed hard.

"Who is your mistress?" she asked, licking a path on my skin, but the voice was all wrong. It was deeper and lower than what she sounded like, as if she wasn't only seducing me, but _demanding_ me.

"What...?" I started, but she put a finger on lips, silencing me.

My eyes widened at the mischief on her face. Rose was always playful, but what I was seeing... There was lust, which called to my own lust, but there was also... Fuck, whatever it was, it wasn't good. Not good at all.

I put my hands on her shoulder, trying to keep her at distance.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concern coloring my words. I didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to give me chills and not the good kind of them.

She stroked my face in what was supposed to be a caring gesture. It was creepy as hell with the obsessed look she was giving me.

"Rose..."

She slapped my face and the pressure tightened inside my chest. Damn, it hurt.

"Not Rose!" she yelled. I looked back at her, astounded.

"Roza..."

She growled. I swear to God, from the deeps of that little body, the most fucking terrifying growl came out. I stared at her in shock, not knowing what to do.

She pushed me with her hands flattened on my chest and there was more than just strength to it. Her hands were hot as fire, burning me into the mattress.

"I promise you this," she started in a deadly cold voice, bizarrely contrasting with the heat on my skin, "If you say her name once more, she'll be handed on a plate back to the Academy faster than you can say 'Roza'. And you'll follow her right after. Wouldn't it be nice, Dimitri? How do you think they'll praise you by completing your job of bringing them back by fucking the novice into submission?"

I froze, unable to make sense of her words, but feeling the dread settle in anyway. What was this Twilight Zone Rose saying? Who was she? It was a nightmare, it could only be.

_Breath, Dimitri. You'r__e dreaming_, I told myself.

"What do you think of it, Dimka?"

My world spun. _Dimka_?

I blinked and looked at her. Really looked at her.

And at that exact moment, the door burst open.

"Dimitri! What is...?"

Rose's desperate words as she invaded my room were followed by silence. My eyes danced from the Rose at the door to the one on my lap. I felt like my brain had turned into mush. The one at the door looked pained, so pained, I knew I could only be a motherfucker, even though I had no idea what I had done wrong but be in a nightmare.

Then the Rose on my lap suddenly pulled me against her, her lips touching mine before I could do anything else. My reaction was immediate, pushing her away. _This_ was the wrong Rose, whatever that meant.

I heard a whimper, but when I looked at the door, there was only fury and betrayal on that Rose's eyes. When she spoke, however, her voice was cold.

"Sorry to interrupt."

She left swiftly, my blurry view not able to fully comprehend it. The ache in my chest, though, understood it and went beyond nightmare proportions. It physically hurt.

In a miserable daze, I looked back at the Rose on my lap.

Except it wasn't Rose. And it wasn't a fucking nightmare.

Tasha was smiling sweetly at me, the soft glimmering of compulsion still in her eyes.

There was going to be bloodshed tonight.

* * *

**I would love your opinion!**


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